Can't fight the system
by LailaRaine
Summary: Shady pasts are not unusual at Horizon, the new girl is no exception... so what makes her so special? and why can't he get his mind off her?
1. Falling down

Authors note *** Hey! this is going to be a SLIGHT cross over with NBC's Third Watch, but on the whole , though significant, the third watch characters are only used for the purpose of supporting my character, and giving her background and identity. In this first chapter there is a lot of third watch character reference but I assure you it's only to set the stage for future references and stuff. It won't be so profound in the following chapters. As with all fan fiction works I do not own any character unless otherwise specified, for instance I own Marissa but for now, that's all. PLEASE REVIEW!!!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Voices swirled around her. Her throat burned and her head throbbed. The pain embraced her senses and choked them mercilessly. A soft cry of pain escaped her lips, the lights were blinding, the noises loud and obnoxious. Each step was a small victory as she barely stumbled along the streets. Slowly a siren approached from a distance. Louder and louder, its incessant wail penetrated her ears. Numbness was the last sensation that over came her before she realized her legs were not longer functioning. People were yelling for her, calling out her name, or were they? she couldn't really tell. Collapsing onto the pavement she gasped for a breath, all she could hear was silence, blackness, and the pounding of her own heart. Faster and faster until finally everything stopped.  
  
  
  
"So what are you sayin doc, you sayin she was...is that what you..." Officer Maurice Boscorelli made a fist with one hand and pinched the bridge of his nose with the other unable to finish his sentence.  
  
"you sayin..."  
  
"yes, Mr. Boscorelli, that is what I'm saying. I'm sorry. But, at the same time we also know her level of intoxication. I've already given you a list of things we found in her system, there's really nothing more I can say. " the doctor spoke from behind the thick lenses of his glasses. His indifferent and unaffected attitude was getting on Bosco's already agitated mood.  
  
"You sayin its her own fault, is that...wait is that what your saying, you are telling me that its her fault cause if that's what your tellin me I suggest you being to change your line of thinkin, cause if you dont..."  
  
"Bosco!" Faith Yokas stepped out and put a comforting arm on her partners shoulder.  
  
"Bosco that ain't what he's sayin"  
  
Bosco fought the urge to send a fist through the doctor's skull. Instead, he bit his lip and leaned two arms against the wall pushing himself into it.  
  
"Alright, alright, thank you doctor" Bosco took a glance at the girl who lay in the bed. She seemed so small, lost in the faded hospital gown and bed sheets. Her dark hair was matted against her forehead and her face shone with pain. An image of her as a small child flashed through his brain, he could remember her in diapers, so small and innocent. An anger burned inside of him a sick hatred.  
  
Bosco started towards the hospital bed and went to take her hand. Right before he held it in his grasp he stepped back.  
  
"Fuck" he muttered, turning to leave the room.  
  
"Boz, where you goin? " Faith asked as compassionately as she could.  
  
He sighed and stopped for a second as if mentally battling himself to decide.  
  
"To make a phone call..." and with that he left a confused partner and a battered sister.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I understand, no no, yes, I understand your concern but I assure you we'll do our best" Peter Scarbrow ended his conversation with one of the students parents and hung up the phone. He sighed. Sometimes it wasn't a mystery to determine where these kids problems derived from. Psychotic parents. Oh well, end of the day anyhow, time for sleep, well deserved sleep. Peter stood up and headed for the door, just as he turned the knob, he heard it, the dreaded noise, the harsh, obstructive ring of the phone. Sighing in silent defeat Peter turned back to answer it.  
  
"Hello, uh huh.. ye-- uh.. okay slow down sir I can't understand what your say- oh.. okay. Yes. You have? he did? well, the program isn't 100% effective, like you said you-, uh huh. I can tell, um Friday? are you sure that isn't too soon? okay. I just need some basic information... I see... okay. Well, I'll talk to you then."  
  
Peter hung up the phone half confused and half in pity. It never got easier.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Okay kids listen up!" Sophie Becker had round up all the cliffhangers to their normal group spot to tell them they would be getting a new member. This hardly ever went over well, so Peter would most likely be joining them shortly.  
  
"Oh god. This could only be one thing... one despised thing..." Daisy sighed and rolled her head back.  
  
"Don't be so over dramatic Daiz" Jules quipped from the next seat over.  
  
'That's a bit ironic coming from you queenie wouldn't you say?" Shelby's sarcastic voice flooded like cynical molasses.  
  
"Who told you to comment?" Auggie piped in  
  
"What your girl can't talk for herself?" Scott stepped in  
  
"And yours can?" Auggie countered.  
  
"Guys! knock it off or its kitchens for you all." Peter entered the room.  
  
"Now I know you guys know why you are all here, convened in this room. Yes, there will be a new member. Now, I know... " Peter paused while a motley of chorused groans circled the room before continuing.  
  
"I know this isn't the most wonderful thing in the world for most of you, but remember you were all newbies once and you all know the drill. Shelby, I'm assigning this one to you."  
  
"Dare I ask what happens if I refuse?" Shelby asked raising her eyebrows  
  
"Dare I need to tell you?" Peter responded back sarcastically  
  
"No" Shelby sighed in defeat. It wasn't exactly the most exciting proposition but it wasn't half as bad as the ones she had previously been proposed. Oh well. One tour, no bonding, no attitude, no kitchen, life works itself out.  
  
"Well, if that's settled I'll let you guys have a couple hours free time to get used to the idea" Peter said getting up and leaving.  
  
~~~~~  
  
"so what do you think she'll be like?" Juliette asked with anticipation  
  
"You mean, what do you think her issue will be?" David remarked.  
  
Juliette rolled her eyes and Daisy shot a warning glance towards Dave.  
  
"Don't let him get to you twig, he's just a wannabe funny man ain't ya Davey" Auggie rolled his eyes in David's general direction.  
  
"well that may be Augusto my man, but ... at least my girl Daisy here doesn't have to read me my bedtime stories" David shot back  
  
"I'm not your girl slime bag" Daisy said throwing him a look.  
  
Auggie lunged but Scott grabbed him by the shoulders.  
  
"It's not worth it"  
  
"Yo step off meat, this has got nothin to do with you"  
  
"Guys come on! what a new kid comes and Shelby has an attitude? thats what gonna get you all kitchens for a month? thats nothing new! why start on each other now?" Ezra commented  
  
"Yea, come on guys, everyone just chill" Juliette put a hand on Auggie's shoulder and he shrugged her off. Juliette recoiled and then, hurt, stormed out of the room.  
  
"Nice job, now she won't eat for a month" Shelby laughed sarcastically.  
  
Auggie turned to go catch up with her.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Are you sure that what you wanna do, what does your mother think?" Faith asked Bosco quietly outside the hospital room  
  
"Ma? Ma doesn't know what the hell to do. I love my mother but look at what happened with Mikey, he's sellin crack to 12 year old school girls. It was bad enough with him, but not her. I- I screwed up with Mikey, I can't let the same thing-"  
  
"She's not your responsibility, you're not her father.." Faith realized the mistake of her words by the immediate look of anger on his face.  
  
"Damn fuckin strait I'm not her father. That's why I'm doin this, cause I'm not her god damn father, I'm her brother, and I fuckin care if she ends up dead in some fuckin sewer."  
  
"But your brother, you said it didn't help with him. Boz, Its so expensive, you're a cop, come on, there's gotta be something else then sending her away..." the look in his eyes told her he'd made up his mind.  
  
"Alright , but, how are you gonna tell her?"  
  
"I'm not, I'm gonna pack her stuff, put her in the car, and drive her there Friday. Its the only way Faith. Its the only way." and with that he stalked off back into her room.  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
Slowly, very slowly the weight that was planted on Marisa's eyes began to life. A steady buzz grew into an invasive beep. A monitor. A slight moan escaped her lips as she began to shift her body. Pain coursed through her veins like shards of glass.  
  
"Risa" Bosco's voice coaxed her eyes open.  
  
"Maurice?" a quiet, feeble voice filtered into the air. It was so tiny that it reminded him of when she was little. After the fights, she would come crawling to him to see if he was okay, he would lay there with his eyes shut on the bed, pretending he was somewhere else, plotting what he would do to his father if he had the chance, she would call his name and he would ignore her. She would use her pudgy baby fingers to pry his eyes open and then giggle when he couldn't help but smile. Then he would give her a hug and send her to get Mikey out of the hiding spot. She would always bring him back to reality. Mikey and her were the only reasons he never left. For a moment his heart tugged at him, maybe he could fix her himself, maybe he didn't need no 12 step program for her. Then he thought of Mikey. It didn't work for him why should it work for her. Then he thought of Mikey again, thought of where he ended up, and with that final thought a new determination set in. Friday would come, and when it did, he would hand over his sister.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Please let me know what you think! I can handle constructive critisicm but I'd appreciate it if no one bashed the story, remember its only the first chapter. Besides this is one of those 3 am products, meaning I wasn't FULLY conscious when writing it, just inspired. So let me know what you think and if I get a significant number of reviews i'll keep posting! I promise it'll get good!!!! 


	2. Brotherly Love

Hey!!! This is the author speaking *obviously* I just wanna say thanks for the great reviews!! I'm working on a couple other stories but this one is getting the best reviews at this point so I'll be working on it the most! I'm really excited about it and I'm SO glad you guys like it! Keep the reviews coming and in turn, I'll keep the chapters coming! I know that I haven't really introduced a lot of the Horizon stuff yet but the next chapter is where I'll really get into her stay there. It should be an interesting course of events I assure you!!! Oh yea, and I don't own any cast member from Third Watch or Higher Ground I only own Marissa as of right now! Thanks!! REVIEWS PLEASE!!  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------  
  
The days had passed and slowly Marissa began to come back to the world of the living. Her eyes dilated properly, and aside from a slight wrist sprain her injuries physically were minimal. It was the emotional trauma contracted from falling victim to the streets that was really taking its toll. Mrs. Boscorelli had okayed the transport to Horizon, not that she had much say in the matter, Bosco was determined, and convinced that this was the right... no the ONLY, was to save his baby sister.  
  
"Hey Boz.." Faith entered the waiting room where Bosco sat, head in hands in a chair.  
  
"Hey , I was just -"  
  
"Yea"  
  
"Yea"  
  
"How she doing?"  
  
"Good good... "  
  
"and you ?"  
  
"Fine." he stood up and quickly left the room.  
  
" Bosco..." Faith sighed quietly to herself, shaking her head  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Hey, how you doin?" Bosco looked down at his sister  
  
"As well as can be expected I guess you know, for someone who is has an IV hanging out of their disjointed wrist." she laughed slightly but ceased quickly due to the pain in her ribs.  
  
"Risa what the hell did you get yourself into" He looked at her confused and angry. Angry more for the ways of the world, than for his sisters actions.  
  
"Maurice don't"  
  
"Don't what! you're 17 years old and -"  
  
"Listen, I--"  
  
"No YOU listen Marissa, I've had enough of this bullshit, I've had enough of you lying, and enough of you walkin the streets at 4 am doin whoever walks by with a 20 dollar bill or an 8 oz. I'm sick of havin to worry about you bein...you bein..."  
  
"Me bein raped? attacked? murdered?" she looked at him with cold, tired dark eyes.  
  
Bosco looked away as if he'd been slapped. He hadn't said it out loud yet. Saying it out loud would be giving in. It would be accepting, admitting. Without warning, he broke their silence by sending the chair out the window. The glass shattered itself over the building. Beams of light burst within the dust, now shaken from its resting place in every crevice in the room. Marissa let out a scream and then a sob.  
  
"I'm... baby no.. I'm , Risa I'm sorry Risa..." Bosco tried desperately to comfort her but to no avail.  
  
"Get out!"  
  
"Risa.. "  
  
"NO! Get the fuck out of my room!! Get out I don't want to see you! Just LEAVE , leave me alone!!!"  
  
All the screaming had drawn the nursing staff's attention.  
  
"Oh my god, what the hell happened in here"  
  
"Marissa, I'll be back at 6 pm to pick you up" and with that Bosco threw his arms up and left the room  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"SHELBY!!!!"  
  
"What is it queenie" Shelby put down the book she was reading to see what act the drama queen was presenting before her.  
  
"Shelby you were supposed to do kitchens today why is MY name on the schedule??" Juliette looked distressed and pissed off.  
  
"Chill. Don't BE a cow... oops.. well you know what I mean..." Shelby sighed vindictively.  
  
"Shel.." Daisy tried to put a stall on the nonsense before her.  
  
"Whatever Shelby. At least I don't sleep with freshmen to get out of chores." with that Juliette stormed off in her apron and headed toward the kitchen area.  
  
"haha Now, she does appear to have a point" Ezra quipped from the corner.  
  
"Piss off freaken"  
  
"ITS FREIDKIN"  
  
"Whatever." Shelby shrugged off the events and smiled smugly at the thought of Juliette surrounded by the enemy... enemy being food of course.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So, you know anything about the new girl who you've gotta baby-sit?" Scott asked Shelby as he played basket ball with some of the guys.  
  
"What, you mean you think she could be something more besides the usual anorexic, psychotic, depressed and suicidal middle class princess with a hint of promiscuity?"  
  
"You never know" he said with a shrug and with that he was called back into the game.  
  
"Yo meat! where your game at!"  
  
"Comin' Auggie!, later Shelby."  
  
"Yea, later" Shelby rolled her eyes and headed off to her dorm to mentally prepare for the trauma of forced socialization.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Bosco had spent the whole day mentally preparing himself for what he was planning to do. Normally, he'd immerse himself in work or women, but this time, it just wasn't an option, repression wasn't an option. This wasn't Mikey who he could beat the shit out of for being a jackass until he relented and went into rehab, no this was his sweet, little baby sister turned Juvenile Delinquent. There was no other option BUT to send her to Horizon, even after Mikey, especially after Mikey. Her bags were packed and the car was running. She would despise it, no doubt about that, she was far from a country girl let alone a mountain chick but it didn't matter. No more questions, no more thinking.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Her laughter could be heard from down the hallway as he stepped off the elevator and turned the corner. Bosco's eyes furrowed as he approached the door.  
  
"Who the hell..." Bosco opened the door and rage burned through his chest like lava at the sight before him.  
  
"Hey, Maurice! How you doin!' a nervous guy in his early 20's sat at the foot of Marissa's bed with a bouquet of flowers, orange lilies, her favorite. Marissa winced and prepared herself for scene that would surely explode before her.  
  
"When the fuck they let you out and what the fuck are you doing here?! Get the fuck out, get the fuck out!!" Bosco ripped Mikey, his younger drug dealing brother off the bed and flung him towards the door.  
  
"Hey! she's my sister too Maurice and I have a right to see her!" Mikey stepped up towards Bosco who shoved him up against the door.  
  
"Mikey! Maurice! stop!!!" Marissa fruitlessly tried to calm them down. Realizing it was pointless and that they had to deal with it how they had to deal with it, she got off the bed to get dressed, she was going home.  
  
"You ain't her brother, cause a brother wouldn't let this happen to his sister."  
  
"Me? you're blamin me for this shit?"  
  
"Its your fuckin fault she's on the streets in the first place, you KNOW she looks up to you and then you bring home your fucked up druggie posse and you introduce her to them and you expect me to believe this isn't your fault. This IS your fuckin fault Mikey now get the hell outta here!"  
  
"Thats bull shit BULL SHIT, she looks up to you just as much as she looks up to me and I don't see her out there fighting crime its called FREE WILL Maurice, don't get me wrong, I'm gonna catch the son of the bitch who did this and I'm gonna take care of it Maurice, I'm gonna take care of it!" Mikey left the room and walked out punching the walls towards the elevator.  
  
"Not if I get to him first."  
  
"Get to who first? " Marissa stepped out of the bathroom in a pair of light blue denim flares and a black tank top. She was wearing black boots and had thrown her hair up in a claw clip exposing the bruises on her face and neck. Track lines ran up her thin arms.  
  
Bosco walked over to her and lifted her arm to look at them.  
  
"Maurice don't, I'm sorry okay, I'm gonna stop, I have stopped, I swear, Please can we just go home, Please Maurice, I just want my bed." She smiled pleadingly and he took her into an embrace, kissing her on the forehead.  
  
"Let's go"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The pain killers the doctor gave Marissa knocked her out long enough for them to make it up into the mountains before she came to. For a second she sighed and re adjusted herself in the seat. Then, upon realizing she was still IN a seat, she sat upright in a panic. The clock on the dashboard read 12:47 am.  
  
"Where are we going?" she turned to Bosco concerned  
  
"You hungry?" was all he had to say in response  
  
"No, I'm confused"  
  
"Don't worry about it , go back to sleep we'll stop in a little while for some food."  
  
"I'm not going back to sleep where are we going?"  
  
He looked at his sister, the medicine had bought him some time but that time was over. He saw a sign for a Holiday Inn up the road and decided then would be a good time to pull in for the night.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------  
  
"YOU ARE TAKING WHERE!!!!!???!" Marissa shrieked at the top of her lungs  
  
"It ain't gonna be so bad!" Bosco tried to calm her down  
  
"Ain't gonna be so bad!!! are you fuckin CRAZY ?? Do I look like the type of girl who can handle WOODS, do I look like fuckin girl scout??!! You asshole! I can't believe you would do this to me!, well, fuck you I am NOT going" Marissa picked up her black bag and headed for the door  
  
"Where the hell do you think you are gonna go, this ain't the city no more" Bosco stepped in front of her  
  
"Oh gee what was your first clue the HERD OF SHEEP BLOCKING THE ENTRANCE TO THE ONE DESOLATE WAWA??? what the fuck is a "WAWA" anyhow!!!"  
  
"Its just a minimart thing"  
  
"That is not a minimart. Maurice you can't force me to go there, I can't go to a place like that, I'm not a criminal!"  
  
"Not yet, but you're well on your way. At least there I'll know you are safe" He sat down on the bed next to her. "I couldn't protect you this time Risa, but I'm gonna make sure that you will be okay, I'm getting you off the streets and thats it."  
  
"It wasn't' your job to protect me, it was my own fault not yours, and not Mikeys"  
  
Bosco visibly tensed at the mention of the name and he quickly stood off the bed and grabbed a drink off the counter.  
  
"Punk ass"  
  
"Oh shut up, you know you love him and you know he's you, just without the whole criminal thing. Its got a little poetic irony no? you're the cop he's the criminal"  
  
"Yea, real ironic"  
  
"Come on just take me home please! I promise I'll be good, I'll even come live with you if you want, I'll go into rehab, I'll get a job just please! Don't get rid of me cause you don't think you can handle me"  
  
"I'm not getting rid of you cause I can't handle you, I'm saving your life. I'm doin for you what I couldn't do for Mikey."  
  
"Speaking of Mikey, is this place..."  
  
"You aren't Mikey, it'll work for you, It has to, now go to bed, wake up calls early."  
  
  
  
***************You like? yes? no? if you want more you know the drill... its all about the reviews!!************* 


	3. Ready or not

** Author's note: I'd just like to clarify that I don't mean to be making anybody beg, although it's flattering so thanks!!!!!! hahaha I'm trying hard to keep posting, and I know its cliché but I'm really really busy, I have like 15 days left of HIGH SCHOOL and like 30 days left till graduation so there is a lot going on but I'm really trying! As always, Reviews = motivation, motivation = more chapters!!! (Just a subtle hint of course ;)lol) Please please review!!!! As always I only own Marissa.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
"Umph" Shelby groaned as a rock hard pillow slammed into her face.  
  
"Get up!!!! You need to get ready! You have a tour to give today remember??" Juliette's perpetual giddiness shone brighter than the glaring sun in Shelby's eyes.  
  
"Get away from me you freak! Shouldn't you be in the bathroom for your pre- breakfast toilet fest?"  
  
"Shelby, I will not let your personal defensive tactics make me feel bad. You should get up today is gonna be so exciting!"  
  
"What are you? and when do they want you back?" Daisy sat up in bed and questioned.  
  
"Come on guys, knock it off, we're all up anyhow so why don't we just get ready" Kat threw off her covers and headed for the bathroom.  
  
"Queenie, one day... one day Queenie" Shelby tried unsuccessfully one more time to  
  
retreat under the covers. This time, they came flying back off her.  
  
"YOU ARE SUCH A B..."  
  
"uh uh uh Shelby, I hope you were about to finish that sentence with 'beautiful young woman who looks 10 years younger than her actual age" Sophie Becker raised her eyebrow  
  
"Uh, you read my mind"  
  
"Ah... just call me Miss. Cleo. Time to get up, you have to report to Peter's office in less than an hour for your newbie."  
  
"I'm already there!" Shelby relented sarcastically as she stepped from her bed.  
  
"I'm already there..." she sighed and stepped into the bathroom. This was going to be the never-ending day from hell.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So.. How's the bagel" Bosco was on his 12th attempt at conversation with Marissa and she was not having it. She was fuming and hated him with every fiber of her 17yr old existence. How dare he. She wasn't some punk crack whore. What happened to her could have happened to anyone. She knew what she was doing and she didn't need some mountain herd and their leaders to tell her how to control her own life.  
  
"Not like the city I know, but its not so bad, I mean, a bagels a bagel right?" again no response  
  
"Right, well, I'll mail you a bag of bagels from home.. yea"  
  
Marissa just glared at him and then returned her gaze to the window where it had been situated for the past 4 hours.  
  
"Are you ever gonna talk to me?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Fuckin ridiculous" he muttered under his breath "Thats it" He pulled the car to the side of the road. Bosco shut off the ignition and looked at his sister whose eyes were still focused on the nothing outside her window. He sighed and stared at the steering wheel, quietly contemplating to himself.  
  
"Marissa I'm doin this FOR YOU, I know you don't--"  
  
"Oh kiss my ass, for ME? You're doing this FOR ME? Since when are you such an expert on what's good for me? How would you know?? Your life has been fixin a whole city's problems! It's never been about us, it's been about pent up resentment from dad and runnin away from it! Are you really shocked that Mikey sells, or that this happened? Well yea, you must be shocked cause this must be out of the blue for you, but for us? For us it's been the air we breathe. So don't blame Mikey, Mikey is all I've had for the past god knows how many years so for you to give me this shit about how this is FOR ME, fuck you Maurice, this is for you, its to clear YOUR conscience. So, either turn this car around and take me back to civilization or keep driving, make up your mind, and let's go"  
  
The words stung like acid in an open wound. He listened to her speak and he heard the anger and hatred, the hurt. Although most of him knew she was right, knew he HADN'T been around, knew that he was fighting for everyone else so he wouldn't have to fight for anything too close to him, another part refused to hear it, refused to accept it. He said nothing else but put the car in drive and drove the next 15 miles in complete silence.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So, what's her glitch?" Shelby leaned back in a chair in Peter's office playing with a strand of her hair, bored and annoyed.  
  
"You know I can't reveal that until she's ready, and when she's ready she'll tell you herself."  
  
"Oh please, you'll break her down in one group session"  
  
"I prefer to think of it as gently persuading her to open up"  
  
"Yea the sinful circle of sharing."  
  
"Shelby, please, try to leave the poison out with this one. I don't think you'll get quite the same response. She's not the usual personality. She doesn't belong to a yacht club and she's not gonna be scared of you." Peter glanced up with half a smile.  
  
"Well then, if she's not gonna be scared of me, why should I be anything but myself?" Shelby shrugged with a smirk and walked out of the room.  
  
"I can see where this is going..." Peter dropped his head to the desk and laughed lightly.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The car slowed to a stop outside what looked like a wooden hut, well, a cabin, same thing. Marissa opened the door and climbed out.  
  
"Ugh" she lifted up her leg to inspect the damage to her heels. Her precious black maddens had been drowned in a puddle of mud. Luckily, it was only the bottoms of the heels, it would be easy to conceal any damage. Marissa looked up with disgust, the air was much thinner, cleaner, if it wasn't for the pungent odor of... trees, it could almost be bearable. A squirrel jumped from its branch and scampered past her feet.  
  
"AAAAAHH" she shrieked and ran behind the car.  
  
"I don't care if you ship me off to a boarding school in GERMANY, you are NOT leavin me here. Maurice!!! There are animals, and .... OH GOD, there's gotta be like 4974937 million spiders, Maurice I will hunt you down and sever your head if you think for two seconds that you are leav..."  
  
"Good morning, how was your drive?" Peter's voice interrupt Marissa's scene.  
  
Marissa rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in exasperation.  
  
"Just peachy" she mumbled as she reached into the back to pull out her bag.  
  
"I'm Peter Scarbrow" he extended his hand to Bosco  
  
"Pete" Bosco nodded his head in acknowledgement "Maurice Boscorelli, we spoke on the phone" he shook Peter's hand. "This is Marissa" Marissa just glared with half a smirk.  
  
"Marissa, You can call me Peter and this is Sophie, Sophie Becker, It's very informal around here."  
  
"I can see that" she glanced at his flannel shirt and white wash jeans with repulsion. "I guess it's a cultural thing up here" she wrinkled her nose and continued to pull out her bags.  
  
"Marissa..." Bosco warned  
  
"Bite me" she walked past him with her bags "Where do you want me?" Marissa popped her gum in her mouth and waited, bored.  
  
"Uh. You can go with Sophie while I talk to your brother"  
  
"Right, my 'brother'"  
  
Bosco looked down and ran his fingers through his hair. As soon as she was out of his sight he sighed and leaned against the car.  
  
"Long drive?"  
  
"You can say that"  
  
"To be honest, she's handling this better than most of the kids we see around here"  
  
Bosco laughed slightly at this. "Nah, she's just real good at hidin stuff"  
  
"Run in the family?"  
  
Bosco just looked up at him, startled and confused.  
  
"So uh, do I have to like, sign her in or somthin?"  
  
"Yea, right this way"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
After Sophie gave Marissa the speech and she had been searched and given a physical, Sophie led her out to the hall where she could say good-bye to her brother and meet Shelby. Meanwhile, Peter had just finished explaining everything to Bosco and again, reassured him that she would be fine.  
  
"Well, we'll give you guys a couple minutes to yourselves to say your goodbyes"  
  
Bosco started to nod his head but Marissa diverged.  
  
"It won't be necessary, I think we've said all that needs to be said, I mean we have been trapped in a car together for the past 2 days, I don't think there's anything left that needs to be discussed" Bosco looked at her sharply and Peter and Sophie exchanged concerned glances.  
  
"So what are you saying? You don't wanna say goodbye?"  
  
"Goodbye Maurice, satisfied?" with that she turned and left the room.  
  
"Fuck! "Bosco punched a wall and yelled.  
  
"This is very common..." Sophie began..  
  
"Don't! " he threw his arms up "Just fix her" He stormed out of the room into his car and sped off without looking back.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Ow!"  
  
"Watch where you're going!"  
  
The two girls collided into each other as Marissa stormed out of the room.  
  
"Watch where I'M going??"  
  
"Yes, what are you mentally challenged, do you need me to spell it on the wall?" Shelby put a hand on her hip and sneered.  
  
Marissa, unamused, crossed her arms and leaned back.  
  
"It's called Midol." Marissa pushed past a shocked Shelby and moved on down the hall to check out her surroundings.  
  
"Shelby! Good you're here, I'll get Marissa"  
  
"I think we already met and I highly suggest you find someone else to give her the grand tour"  
  
"What did you do Shelby" Peter stepped out of his office  
  
"Me? why dont you ask the speeding train who so conveniently barreled into ME and then tried to blame me for crashing into her."  
  
"You did crash into me, you were walking on right side of the hall, everyone knows you walk WITH the traffic, not against it. They have reasons for that, its so things like this don't happen." Marissa rolled her eyes at this common knowledge  
  
"She has a point" Sophie spoke thoughtfully after ingesting the words.  
  
"Of course I do, who's mentally challenged now Barbie"  
  
Shelby lunged for Marissa but Peter held her back.  
  
"Peter, I really think you should enlist someone else as the honorary guide," Shelby stated through gritted teeth.  
  
"I tend to agree" Marissa offered casually.  
  
"No, I think it's a good idea if Shelby shows you around" Sophie countered "A really good idea"  
  
Both girls rolled there eyes and gave in.  
  
"Come on Barbie, lets go Barbie..." Marissa sang under her breath, mocking the late 90's freak smash hit 'Barbie girl'  
  
"Oh you've gotta be kidding me" Shelby rolled her eyes and pushed open the door leading Marissa out onto the campgrounds.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
REVIEW REVIW REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! haha sorry but seriously, I can't keep writing this unless I get more reviews! ~ S.S. 


	4. Return to Normalcy?

****AUTHORS NOTE: Hey guys!!! Thanks so much for the great reviews!!!! I'm only as good as my readers!!! hahaha Please please please keep letting me know what you think!! I love hearing from you guys! As far as this chapter, its really just a transition chapter, having Marissa meet everyone and stuff! I decided to keep some more Third Watch aspects than previously intended since a couple of you mentioned loving the show as much as I do! (How awesome was the season finale!!) So let me know what you think!!!!!!  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------  
  
"How'd it go?" Yokas asked her partner as he stepped into the squad car, driver's seat of course. It had been about a week and a half since she'd last seen or heard from him, personally, she was ecstatic he had finally returned, it wasn't easy driving around with a probee for days on end. Bosco responded with an indifferent grunt silencing any further attempts for conversation at the present time. Not one to pry, Faith just let it go knowing he'd talk about it when he felt like talking about it.  
  
"Hey!!!! Asshole!!! Watch where you're driving here! This ain't fuckin bumper cars lets move!!" Bosco yelled out the window. Back to normal ... well, almost.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"And this is the room where it all happens, lies, truths, love, hate, its very soap opera-esqu, especially when Juliette opens her mouth..." Shelby was finishing up her tour from hell, Marissa wasn't exactly best friend material. An attitude comparable to her own was something Shelby was hardly used to.  
  
"Sounds epic."  
  
"It is. " a voice called from behind them.  
  
"Hey Freakin, what's wrong, run out of pills to pop?"  
  
"You know, if I was a more impressionable youth, your sarcasm, directly correlating to my own personal devastations would probably affect me more deeply"  
  
Marissa laughed at his sincerity. It was the first time she'd laughed in a while, it was almost refreshing, till she remembered where she was and why.  
  
"Since you find him so funny why don't you throw a leash on him and make him your business cause frankly, everyone else is tired of dealing with him and he's obviously getting nowhere with Daisy"  
  
"Hey! You don't sledge hammer an ice sculpture, you gently craft it with love! These things take time!"  
  
"Are you all talking about me again? You know I get schitzo about that..."  
  
"And you all know when she gets in her moods she breaks out the slip knot make up van and becomes the nazi clown..."  
  
"Shut up David" Kat walked in with Juliette by her side.  
  
"You guys knock it off!! You aren't gonna make a very good first impression with the new girl if you are acting like this!"  
  
"Like we're the ones so into impressions Queenie" Shelby remarked, "Besides, I don't think impressions are high on "the new girl's" mind. Everyone... meet the bitch of the century..."  
  
Marissa who had been internally gagging at the scene before her smiled with a bemused expression.  
  
"Hey... Don't sell yourself short Shelby! You're definitely close competition, unfortunately for you, being a bitch also requires that intelligent edge... something I'm sure you could work on, I'm sure they have great tutorial programs around here for the money it costs to enroll" Marissa decided she'd wander off on her own at that point considering how bored she was with the current company  
  
"Well... this should be interesting..." Daisy commented before plopping herself down in a random armchair.  
  
"Wow... hmmm bitch of the century... Shelby or Marissa..." David questioned  
  
"Yea, the jury is definitely hung on this one." Ezra agreed  
  
"I think I'm gonna like that one." David smirked before attempting to sit down next to Daisy. ATTEMPTING of course, as usual, resulted in a painful rejection involving her elbow and his stomach.  
  
"You guys, this is horrible, one Shelby is hard enough..." Juliette sat down too, "Not that I mean anything by that of course Shel..."  
  
"Yea well, let's just see how long her attitude lasts. She doesn't know who she's messing with..." Shelby spoke through gritted teeth.  
  
"Yea, and she doesn't care." Kat laughed, knowing the type all too well.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Over here!!! no no! Meat what are you doing Dude, the basket is over there!!! The whole objective is to make it IN" Auggie scolded Scott for screwing up his game.  
  
The two were paired against a couple other guys from their math class, this was a crucial game considering the loser was forced to clean the other's dorm room's bathrooms for a month. So far, Auggie and Scott were about as far from winning as Cambodia is from becoming the next great world power.  
  
"Well if you learned how to pass right, my throws wouldn't be a problem!"  
  
"Meat, Step off or -"  
  
"Or you'll what?"  
  
"GUYS!" the other two guys had had enough of the argument, "Are we playin or what?"  
  
"What's your problem"?  
  
"Yea, can't you see we're having a conversation?"  
  
"I can see that, but in case you can't SEE the point of playing basketball, it's to actually PLAY"  
  
"Yo man.. Why you gotta be like that" Auggie stepped forward as did Scott. Next thing you know a fight began. It was clean, just fists, and quite amusing for Marissa who'd wandered her way into the little side show. A ball came flying out of the rampaging fists and rolled to a stop by her feet.  
  
*Hmm basketball... not my sport of choice but what the hell* she thought to herself.  
  
With barely a stretch she sent the ball flying and watched it sail smoothly into the net.  
  
"Hey, who shot that?"  
  
"Whatever man, lets go, I don't want kitchens " The two guys called for a rematch at that moment and left, leaving Auggie and Scott hands on knees breathing heavy from the exertion.  
  
" Sorry meat, I was dealin my own house"  
  
"Its cool Aug, we should get to group."  
  
"Oh god not you two too"  
  
Both guys glanced up surprised by the sound of an unrecognizable female voice. Before them stood Marissa, hand on hip, stylish black sunglasses, darkly tinted masking her eyes. She had her normally curly black hair, straightened and pulled back into a claw clip. Marissa was wearing a fitted black turtleneck sweater and dark denim jeans, she wore black dress boots, and possessed a deep olive complexion, typical for most Italians. She wasn't a super model, but she was breath taking. Marissa was no doubt a pretty girl, but more than her actual looks, she had a classiness, an allure to her that was incomparable to most, it was in the way she carried herself, in the way she smiled, and in the way she saw the world. Her cavalier attitude towards most of life added to her appeal. She was constrained only to the confines she'd created for herself, no one else's. That was the reason behind her charm. She'd never be a model, but only cause she didn't want to be, not for lack of beauty or talent, maybe for lack of height being that she was only around 5'5...  
  
"Us too what?" Auggie managed to stammer out  
  
"You're heading for that quaint little shindig they have goin over there?"  
  
Immediately the boys picked up on her accent and figured this must be the newbie. Conveniently, Peter had neglected to mention she was gorgeous  
  
"Group?" Scott offered  
  
"Yea whatever, I'm just not in the mood to bask in other people's issues I guess"  
  
"No one ever is"  
  
"So you're sayin its a unnecessary evil?"  
  
"Something like that" Auggie answered.  
  
"I'm Scott, and this is Auggie" he stuck out his hand and she shook it with a smirk  
  
"Marissa"  
  
"We should uh, probably get to group," Auggie stammered out  
  
"Nah, I'm not really feelin "group" right now, I think I'm gonna go for a walk"  
  
"Don't you wanna meet everyone?" Auggie asked  
  
Marissa laughed  
  
"Oh I've met them... God help everyone if there's anymore "cliffhangers"  
  
"How'd first impressions go?" Scott asked  
  
"Oh they went... somewhere. I think I've already made some questionable relationships. You know, just setting the foundations"  
  
"Uh oh"  
  
"What?"  
  
"This sounds familiar" Auggie sighed  
  
"So I've heard, but don't worry, Shelby and I don't have that much in common. I'm much more human and much less into exploiting myself. We might both have attitude complexes but mine's an self created personality trait, hers is a serious character flaw"  
  
"Theres a big difference?"  
  
Marissa laughed and lifted her sunglasses up onto her head for the first time revealing her deep, dark eyes, full of laugh lines and a softness previously unnoted. Also, revealing old bruises.  
  
"Ouch" Scott said  
  
"Yea yea I know, it looks bad but really it's not so horrific"  
  
"I guess."  
  
"Lighten up Auggie. I'll tell you what, I'll go to your pathetic little share time thing if you let me play later"  
  
"What basketball?" Scott inquired  
  
"Sure" she replied  
  
"Psssh... Anything to get a new partner" Auggie joked and Scott playfully shoved his shoulder.  
  
"Now now boys, lets be nice to one another"  
  
Marissa led the way as the three headed back to "group"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
"You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and DEFINITELY will be used against you once they throw your sorry ass in front of a jury my friend, if you haven't sold enough crack to the local elementary schoolers and therefore cannot afford an attorney, some dumbass will be appointed to you by our wonderful lady justice, yadda yadda, you've heard it enough Ernie I don't feel I need to go through the whole speech anymore." Bosco ripped the man off the hood of the car and threw him in the back as an exhausted Faith watched slightly annoyed from the front seat.  
  
"Was that necessary?" she asked him as he sat back in the driver's seat  
  
"What,? I'm not allowed to do my job anymore? I thought my purpose was to protect and serve, if I have been misguided in any way let me know Faith"  
  
"Boz... don't you even think about starting with me right now"  
  
"How am I starting with you, you're the one whose tellin me how to do my job"  
  
"I wasn't telling you how to do your job! What the fuck is wrong with you Boz. Knock it off or I'll tell the captain I don't think you're ready to be back."  
  
"What the fuck, not ready to be back, what is that shit. Just back off faith. You hungry? I'm hungry, Ernie you hungry? You ain't gonna be eatin nothin good for a while so you might as well get somethin"  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Fine"  
  
"Good"  
  
"Excellent"  
  
Faith Yokas glared at her partner and then smiled in spite of herself. The two left Ernie in the back seat and entered a local convenience store to get some snacks. Faith had gotten her radio tangled in the seat belt and had left it in the front seat. Neither one of them heard the speaker crackle on to call in back up and neither one heard why.  
  
~~~ you like??? yes no?? enough of a cliffhanger for you?? REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!hahah~~~~~~~ 


	5. And Everything's So Blurry...

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey guys!! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up! Is anyone still reading this!!??! Let me know!! I've been having a really hard time getting fanfiction.net to load on my computer which makes it near impossible to post stuff!! Is anyone else having issues or is it just me?? Eh, it happens. Okay, so this chapter's focus is, as promised, mostly Horizon stuff with a little bit of Third watch!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know if you are out there and reading this!!! lol Thanks guys!! enjoy!  
  
______________________________________________________________________  
  
  
  
Marissa watched the condensation trickle down the windows as a shadow of fog grew against the panes. She had been sitting in this "group" session for a little over an hour and had been nauseated for most of it. She despised vulnerability in people, personally speaking the girl could be stone. Hurt, pained, exposed, these were words not present in her personal dictionary of life. To be expected to use them in common terms everyday in this mini share all crap was a fruitless demand. Marissa sighed and brushed away a few strands of hair that had fallen in her eye, feeling a pair of eyes bore into her questioningly, she turned her gaze slightly. Scott held his eyes steady, she challenged him with her own. Raising an eyebrow, Shelby cleared her throat.  
  
"Didn't realize the view was that appealing Scott" Shelby shot, interrupting Ezra's long winded speech on how name brand clothing encouraged drug cartels in America.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"I'm talking about your eyes down her shirt"  
  
"God Shelby, you're so crude" Juliette scoffed disgusted  
  
"Crude but correct" Daisy pointed out  
  
"Well if you ask me they're kinda hard to miss," Dave laughed  
  
"Well enjoy the view cause clearly you won't be getting up close with the scenery any time soon, reject" Marissa stood up annoyed "Look Shelby, I wasn't aware you controlled rapid eye movements and peripheral vision, so lets call it an honest mistake and you can get a life"  
  
"Why don't you get some self control? You're here less that 40 hours and you're already throwing yourself at everyone"  
  
"It's funny, I didn't know Mattel made Barbies with personality disorders now"  
  
"Stop calling me that"  
  
"Oh what, you control the visual AND speech process around here now? I don't think so"  
  
By this point Marissa and Shelby were going at each other, Scott was trying to break it up, Dave and Daisy were arguing over feminist issues, Ezra was depressed cause no one paid any attention to him, Kat was trying to calm everyone down and Juliette was talking to Auggie about Marissa's boots. Peter had, had enough.  
  
"ALRIGHT EVERYONE SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!"  
  
Everyone, with the exception of Marissa and Shelby turned pale and sat down.  
  
"Well if you didn't turn into freakin CUJO every time a life form enters your immediate air space, MAYBE you'd find out that you aren't superior to the human race, as you OBVIOUSLY view yourself."  
  
"I never said I was better than anyone!"  
  
"Yea, you just thought it went without saying, well let me tell you this, that way there is no confusion. I've met hundreds of girls like you, hell I was you for a while there, and all you are is some pathetic, used and most likely abused slut, with a resentment for everything cause life didn't hand you a comfy pillow and a cozy place to sleep, well get over it, and get over yourself, lots of people have issues, and everyone goes through their own shit, no one is superior because they've had worse things happen to them, cause whose to say what's worse than what. You have been nothing but a turbo bitch to me since I've gotten here and maybe they put up with your attitude issues but I won't so knock it off and get the hell away from me"  
  
Silence filled the room. No one had ever told Shelby off quite like this. The new girl had no real idea of Shelby's past, no one had told her about it, few really knew, but Marissa had intuition and she knew how to use it. She could get to the heart of the issue without any cues. Shelby's face grew dark, slightly softened as for the first time in a long while she fought back tears. Who the hell did this girl think she was and how could she know? How could she know so much? Anger swelled within Shelby and even though everyone saw it coming everyone was too much in shock to do anything about it. Within two seconds Shelby's fist came in direct contact with Marissa's cheek. A room full of gasps chorused in the background, Peter stepped forward aware of the severity of this situation. Marissa wasted no time in returning the advance. Growing up with two older brothers, Marissa knew how to be tough, living basically on the streets had taught the girls the same moves, the same bitterness. Marissa clocked Shelby in the eye hard enough to cause instant swelling. Marissa could apparently take and give hits better, truth of the matter was that Maurice had made her take every self defense class known to man so she knew what she was doing.  
  
"Girls, GIRLS!!!! Get off each other now!!! Knock it off!!! KNOCK IT OFF!"  
  
Scott had grabbed Shelby by the waist and with the help of Ezra and Kat successfully held her back; Auggie and Dave had pulled Marissa back far enough so that her swings wouldn't reach. Juliette had run to get Sophie and Daisy sat back amused. Peter stepped in between the two girls with his arms spread apart prohibiting either girl from getting close enough to inflict damage on the other.  
  
"Get the hell off me!!!" Shelby yelled, squirming violently against the three holding her back "Who the hell do you think you are!! How dare you! You are such a bitch when I get out of this I swear to God you are going to pay ugh I hate you!"  
  
Convinced that little outburst was gonna set her off Auggie and David held tighter to Marissa whose look of anger and disgust had faded instantly when her arms had been gripped. Marissa looked down and winced in pain, her head was throbbing and her ribs hurt.  
  
"Get off" her voice came out soft and meek, a complete antitheism to her usual personality. So quiet that it went unheard, she could no longer struggle against them, flash backs of that night popped into her brain, grabbing onto her and tearing at her mind in 50 different directions, each one stinging harsher than the previous. Black shadows flashed over her eyes and she instinctively grabbed her head as a shrill ring stung out. By now Marissa was finding it hard to catch her breath. That night was coming back to her, the whole night.  
  
"Make it stop"  
  
The physical pain was too much to endure and Marissa felt the ground go soft beneath her. Not quite unconscious, Marissa was aware of her surroundings but blinded by these visions, almost like snap shots forever mantled in her mind. After every shot a loud shriek would ring in her ear, she couldn't tell if the sound was real or just in her mind. Ever since that night she'd been able to pretend nothing had happened, she hadn't been able to remember it all that clearly, but now, all at once, pieces were coming back to her things she didn't want to know, to remember. She wanted to rinse her brain out with acid to burn away the horrible memories.  
  
"Is she okay?" By now even Shelby was slightly concerned, although she'd never admit it. Auggie and David let her slip down to the floor but kneeled down next to her.  
  
"Marissa? Marissa can you hear me?" Peter sat in front of her not sure what was happening. Just then, Juliette flew in dragging Sophie with her.  
  
"Whats going - oh my god! Peter is she okay?? What happened?"  
  
"We don't know! She just started to freak out" Auggie looked a little scared, not sure what the hell was going on with this girl.  
  
"As soon as we grabbed her arms she just like spazzed out!" David offered  
  
"Alright, someone get the nurse"  
  
"No! I'm okay I'm okay" Marissa slowly opened her eyes and began taking deeper, fuller breaths. "It must just be a migraine... it's gotta be the lighting or something" Though a believable excuse, everyone looked around at each other skeptically.  
  
"Well, why dont' we get you to the infirmary to get you checked out"  
  
"I'm fine"  
  
"Just to be on the safe side..." Sophie pressed  
  
"Look, I said I'm fine" Marissa stood up, swaying slightly and David reached to balance her, she shrugged him off.  
  
"Alright guys, " Peter decided not to press the issue, she seemed alright, although the first thing one picks up on at a place like horizon, is that nothing is ever as it appears, " this meetings over, I think we all need a good break, take an hour free and then get to the dorms"  
  
"Peter, I really think it'd be a good idea if she.."  
  
"Soph... lets just let this one go" Sophie stared him in the eye and then sighed, looking down.  
  
"Alright, but I don't feel good about it"  
  
"I don't feel good about any of this"  
  
And with that the group dispersed. Juliette and Daisy went back to the dorms early to finish their English project, Auggie and Scott went to play some ball, Shelby went to stew over the events of the meeting, Ezra went to the library to work on an assignment with Kat, and David followed Marissa out onto the grounds.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So what do you think her issue was?" Scott asked Auggie as he jumped into a clean lay up "42-38" Scott made sure Auggie knew he was losing.  
  
"Yea not for long meat" Auggie responded by sinking a 3 pointer from the foul lines "I'm not sure, she definitely freaked though"  
  
"It was pretty intense, did you see her face?"  
  
"Yea she looked like she was gonna pass out, scared the shit out of me"  
  
"She looked scared"  
  
"Well, maybe one of her demons stopped to pay a visit" Auggie smirked and sunk another 3 pointer. "You're finished now meat"  
  
"Oh you think so huh?"  
  
The game continued on even though the incident still weighed heavy in their minds.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
Marissa took the path down past the lake, the sun was setting and she didn't have must time left before she had to get back for "curfew" whatever the hell that was about. She still couldn't explain it, it had just washed over her. Well, whatever it was, it was over. Marissa laughed at this. It would never be over. It would follow her for the rest of her life. She sighed and glanced towards the docks. The sun was setting in a gorgeous array of colors over the rippling, lazy water of the lake. It was getting chilly, this was a mountainous region, well mountainous compared to the streets of New York. Silently cursing herself for not bringing a jacket, Marissa strolled down onto the docks. David, who had been following her since they left group stopped at the end of the dock.  
  
"How long are you just gonna stand there?, its annoying"  
  
"Sorry you find me so obnoxious"  
  
"I didn't say obnoxious I said annoying"  
  
"Theres a difference?"  
  
"Yea, a big one"  
  
"So you don't find me obnoxious"  
  
"No" she said turning around to face him "I find you VERY VERY obnoxious, it was just at that moment I was calling what you were doing annoying. I think that you are obnoxious and obnoxious people tend to have annoying actions. I was referring to the action of you just standing there after stalking me for the past 30 minutes. You could at least say something instead of standing there like some freaking serial killer."  
  
"I see. Deepest apologies"  
  
"Whatever" Marissa turned back around a shivered  
  
"Here" David stepped forward and handed her his sweatshirt  
  
"Thanks" she had no issues with guys attempting to be chivalrous, it was kinda endearing, and to be frank, her thin sweater left her fashionable yet freezing.  
  
They just stood together at the end of the docks watching the sun set. It was pretty platonic and neither one said much. Marissa decided David was an acceptable acquaintance no matter how much the others hated him. They would definitely get along.  
  
"We should probably get going, you're hot and all, but no chick is worth kitchens"  
  
Marissa laughed a sweet, warm laugh. Her eyes sparkled. "What is this kitchens anyhow? and why is everyone so horrified of it?"  
  
"Oh Marissa...." David sighed in exaggeration, swinging his arm over her shoulders, " let me tell you about the wrath that is kitchens..."  
  
And with that they headed back to the dorms.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
(Somewhere in an abandoned alley in NYC)  
  
He could feel the cold metal lean against his throat, oppressively stinging his jugular. The steely glint reflected in the moonlight and beads of sweat mixed with blood down his face. A swollen eye, broken nose, dislocated jaw, and now this. This wasn't how it was supposed to go down, this wasn't how it was supposed to happen. There was no use in pleading, it was over, no one was coming... all he could do was sit back and wait for the pain... and it came, over and over again.  
  
  
  
_______________________________________________________  
  
  
  
You like???? Yes? No? Potentially??? You have to let me know!!!!! REVIEW!!! REVIEW!!!!!! REVIEW!!!!! The more reviews the faster I'll update ;) 


	6. I'm with you

Okay!! I know that since they were doing all these updates and no one could get onto this site I should have more than a chapter lol, but thats all I got for now! Just so you know, I've decided that I'm gonna use Avril Lavigne for the inspiration behind Marissa's voice and songs. I in NO WAY, own either Avril Lavigne, or her music, she has created both those things and I totally lack the talent to write songs so I'm just gonna borrow hers... and I'll probably borrow other people's too, but for this chapter its hers so yea. The poem however, is MINE. I wrote it I would prefer if no one used it but I doubt anyone would want to anyhow lol. Keep letting me know what you think, I'm not even sure anyone is reading this anymore!!!!!!!!!! It takes like 30 seconds to review and that 30 seconds will like, make my life!!!! Its pathetic I know but PLEASE!!!! :) Okay ENJOY!  
  
____________________________________________________________________  
  
  
  
The harsh sun glared into the stale apartment. Dust floated in the air, the only movement came from the ticking of a clock in the kitchen, and the rise and fall of the human heart. Complete silence, until the alarm blared off the dresser, ruthlessly attacking the quiet calm.  
  
"Fuck" Bosco tried to bury his face deeper and deeper into the dark hair or his guest. It smelled sweet, like daisies, and her neck was warm with sleep.  
  
"Morning to you to sunshine" The woman rolled over to greet him with tired eyes and half a smile  
  
"Is it morning already? It feels like 2 seconds ago we were just getting started with our after hours activities..." He smirked leaning in to kiss her neck.  
  
"Well I have a couple hours..." she laughed  
  
"I dont, I have work"  
  
"Oh come on... can't you just call in sick?"  
  
"They wouldn't believe me, I might as well just call in and say I scored with the most gorgeous woman known to man and am about to get lucky again."  
  
"They wouldn't believe that either..." The woman laughed and wrapping the sheet around her, stood to get dressed.  
  
"Coffee?"  
  
"Nah, I should really be going"  
  
"Alright, I'll call you"  
  
"No you won't"  
  
"What makes you say that?"  
  
The woman smiled ruefully, "You don't even know my name"  
  
He thought about this for a moment then laughed as she winked and exited his apartment.  
  
"Story of my life" he smirked and tossed a pair of socks in the hamper.  
  
Bosco jumped in the shower and blared the radio. He sung " Cherry Pie" at the top of his lungs as the hot water ran down his chiseled shoulders. His little performance blocked out any possible outside noise, including the phone, from penetrating his hearing range. The answering machine clicked on.  
  
"Boz... It's me, Faith. Where the hell are you? Damn it. Look, when you get this...when you get this give me a call at the station or on my cell, Bosco you gotta call me back. It's real important okay? God, where the fuck are you." BEEP. The machine cut off. By this point, Bosco had finished his shower and walked out with jeans on, grabbed a shirt off the couch, noticed the blinking red light, but figured it could wait, he was already late for work as it was.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Cause nothin's goin right, and everythings a mess, and no one likes to be alone" Marissa sung under her breath as she fixed her hair and rearranged her clothes so they looked less wrinkled. Her pink tee shirt fit snugly and gave a nice contrast for her trademark dark denim express jeans, her favorite; she owned at least a dozen pairs. These happened to be flares. The bruises had faded from her face enough so that only a yellowy, jaundice like glow remained, easily curable with some cover up. The dark sunglasses were no longer necessary but she carried them with her still, force of habit and all. Today was Friday, the end to her first complete official week, she had still not spoken to her brother and her and Shelby were only allowed together at night in their dorms, cause there was no way around that. Other than that, life had advanced quite nicely for her, she'd found a good friendship in believe it or not, Dave, Auggie and Jules had been great to hang out with, and as hard as she fought them, she found herself pathetically intrigued by Scott, he was cute, she wasn't gonna deny that, what she was going to deny, however, was any feeling that might spring up besides a barely there crush. Daisy refused to talk with her out of loyalty to Shelby, Ezra had given her a lesson in the growing of shrooms, and Kat had been a really good help with math and on the mini missions they were assigned daily. Group sessions were as pathetic as ever but she had learned to separate herself from them, she would just mentally astroproject herself into another place. Tonight, they were all getting together in group to decide on some kind of activity night or whatnot for the kids, no issue sharing. That was something to look forward to.  
  
"Thats a pretty song, who sings it?"  
  
"Huh? Oh hey Jules, I didn't realize I had an audience" Marissa smiled and put on a silver necklace.  
  
"Sorry, but it was really nice"  
  
"Thanks, I make up songs in my head a lot, I don't ever really know what I'm singing, I hardly ever turn them into a full song, just bits and pieces"  
  
"That's so cool! Well you have a pretty voice, and I bet people would love it if you made that one a song!"  
  
Marissa laughed "I really don't think anyone would be interested, besides I can't even play any instruments. I almost knew guitar like for a period of 3 months, but that was about it"  
  
"Well, Auggie plays the drums!"  
  
"Jules!!! I'm not starting a band! I was barely even singing" Still laughing, Marissa took one more moment to apply some lip-gloss and began to head out the door.  
  
"Come on Jules, we're gonna be late for math, I'm already failing as it is!"  
  
"Alright I'm coming!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So what do you think the author was trying to express in this piece?"  
  
"Explain to me again why its so imperative we know the life history of a woman that has been dead since before the human species inhabited this earth?"  
  
"Because its good to know the roots of our literary geniuses?" Juliette offered in response to Daisy's question.  
  
The class was quiet after that, the reading had been, for most, an excruciating passage of torment, no one understood, or wanted to. Marissa, who struggled horribly in math and science, was absolutely in love with anything related to literature or expression, which made English her favorite subject. No one was responding the teacher, Marissa had sat there for a week, bored out of her mind due to the simplicity of the subject matter and the lack of enthusiasm from the students, and she genuinely felt bad for Ms. Garlette. Sighing she raised her hand.  
  
"Yes Marissa?" her voice sounded hopeful yet apprehensive  
  
"I think what she was trying to say, I mean, this is just my opinion and all but..."  
  
Scott looked over at Marissa, she was toying with the rings of her notebook as she spoke, and a thoughtful look was on her face.  
  
"But...It's like, so many of us we always look to our "someday" so much, that it passes us by too fast, leaving us only with everyday. She's saying do for yourself, make things happen, don't dream so much on what could happen "someday", otherwise all you'll ever have IS everyday"  
  
The class just sat back, some raised their eyebrows, others whistled. Most were impressed, with the exception of Shelby. Ms. Garlette, speechless, nodded her head in approval. A muttered "very insightful" was all that could escape her lips before the bell rang.  
  
"A..Alright kids, have a nice weekend. Marissa, may I speak with you a moment after class?"  
  
"Yes Ms. Garlette?"  
  
"Your interpretation today... well, it left little to be desired, have you always been this good in English?"  
  
"Well, I like it, so I tend to do more in it cause it takes less energy then say, math. " she laughed  
  
"You have a natural talent, I kept you after because there is a contest we hold every year here at Horizon. The winner gets a 1, 000 dollar scholarship reward, it's a poetry contest"  
  
"Well, thank you, but I don't really think it's for me..."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I couldn't win something like that"  
  
"You say that now, but you haven't heard some past submissions, Please...just consider it" Ms. Garlette looked at her so pleadingly that finally, Marissa consented to consider it.  
  
"Alright, I'll think about it.  
  
"Oh!! Wonderful! Submissions are due by 2:00 pm today!"  
  
"TODAY?"  
  
"You better be getting to your next class! I'll be waiting for you!"  
  
Marissa walked out the door not quite sure as to what she'd gotten herself into. As she turned around the corner she ran smack into someone.  
  
"Watch it!" she started, not even looking up  
  
"Sorry" Scott's voice immediately sent chills down her arms.  
  
"Stalking me?"  
  
"Waiting for you, there's a difference"  
  
"Ah I see"  
  
"What you said in English, about that story, that was really good, it was like, deep and stuff"  
  
She giggled "Deep and stuff that's a paradox if I've ever heard one."  
  
"Yea well, I do the athletic thing"  
  
"So, that's an excuse for being uneducated?" She began walking down the hall with him at her side, they were both heading to the same place... group, might as well walk together.  
  
"Well, you don't understand, to be an athlete you have to have a sort of ... discipline, its a focus that doesn't leave much room for book stuff."  
  
"Hmm... I see. Well, I'm an athlete, and I'm into the "book stuff", what does that make me?"  
  
"Extremely capable... wait, how are you an athlete... and exercise tapes don't count"  
  
"Please, I play lots of sports. Not big on teams though."  
  
"So you're a leisure athlete"  
  
"No, I wouldn't put it that way."  
  
"So what do you play, specifically"?  
  
"Like I said, lots, the only thing I've ever almost been on a team with has been hockey. I play street hockey mostly, sometimes Ice Hockey, but more often than not, street. I like basketball, baseball, despise football, cheerleading, all that 'home team" crap"  
  
"I was MVP three years in a row"  
  
"I figured"  
  
"I'd like to see some of this "street action""  
  
"You could never play with us, you wouldn't last"  
  
"Wouldn't last with what?" Auggie turned the corner with Daisy and Kat, all also on their way to the meeting.  
  
"I think I'm being challenged to a game of hockey," Scott answered laughing it off  
  
"I didn't say hockey, I said Street hockey, and there's a difference"  
  
"Yo meat, if she say she plays, I wouldn't mess with that"  
  
"Oh come on, after group we'll all get together and play a game"  
  
"That's fine, but first I want a one on one" Marissa smiled suspiciously and walked into group.  
  
"Fine by me... very fine by me"  
  
Auggie and Scott high fived as Daisy and Kat rolled their eyes.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So, the topic of today's meeting is what we're gonna do for the end of the month celebration"  
  
"I say we have a dance"  
  
"That's so typical Jules"  
  
"And you Shelby, you have any ideas?"  
  
"Yea, how about we all take a little trip to hell... oh wait, we're already there"  
  
"Hey, a trip don't sound too bad, maybe we can go to some kinda amusement park"  
  
"A trip DOESN'T sound too bad, Auggie, and what amusement park? We're in the middle of nowhere"  
  
"Guys, maybe a dance DOESN'T," Kat looked at Marissa who smiled in approval, "sound so bad"  
  
"Yes it does"  
  
"Dave, you're anti everything"  
  
"Shut up E Z, you're just lookin for an excuse to ask Daisy out again"  
  
"Like you aren't"  
  
"And who would you ask Scott?"  
  
"Back off Daisy"  
  
"Everyone back off"  
  
"Jules, since you were the first one with an idea, where would we get the things for a dance, we have limited funding"  
  
"Well, we still have the dresses we used at the MORP last year.."  
  
"What the hell is a "morp?"" Marissa asked  
  
"It's a backwards prom.. See..."  
  
"Yea, I stopped wanting to know"  
  
"Okay"  
  
"We can make the decorations!"  
  
"And what about entertainment?"  
  
"I can do a mean Bart Simpson impression!" Dave piped up being obnoxious  
  
"Oh god..."  
  
"Well, I was thinking.. Marissa could be the entertainer"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"EXCUSE ME????, I don't think so Jules, I think the lack of calories floating around in your blood system has deteriorated your brain cells."  
  
" You sing?"  
  
"No, I do not sing!"  
  
"Yes, she does I heard her! She's really good, and she writes songs!!!"  
  
"I Barely write songs, and I play NO instruments, and we're talking the end of next week here! My god, I already have to freakin write a poem by 2 now I have to have a demo prepared for next weekend!!!! No!"  
  
"Auggie plays the drums and Scott plays piano!! I'd do back up! It would be so much fun!!!"  
  
"Would you just drop it??"  
  
"Well, actually, I think it sounds like a smashing idea!"  
  
"Of course YOU would Shelby!" Dave said  
  
Suddenly, a sneaky look came over Marissa's face.  
  
"I'll do it..."  
  
"You will?" a chorus of surprised voices, including Shelby's responded  
  
"Sure, on one condition.... Shelby is my back up"  
  
"Good, its settled" Peter jumped up not giving Shelby a chance to object. "Jules, you're in charge of decorations, Daisy you work on getting clothes for everyone, Scott, Shelby, Marissa and Auggie, you work on music, Dave you work on sound, Kat and E Z you work on food."  
  
"What the hell was that??"  
  
"What's the matter Shelby, you said it yourself, this is gonna be stellar!" Marissa smiled sweetly.  
  
"I DON'T SING"  
  
"Well, now you do. Alright guys, I got to go write a poem. Later" Marissa strolled out of the room happily, if she had to suffer, so did Shelby.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
"Alright finished" Marissa was sitting with Dave on the benches outside for lunch.  
  
"Let me read"  
  
"No"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Cause you have trouble spelling your own name, what makes you think you can critique a poem?"  
  
"Shut up" he said grabbing the paper.  
  
* The memory fades  
  
And the lullaby dies  
  
Tears dim the stars  
  
To deepen the dark skies  
  
That last pearl rots,  
  
In its hollow shell  
  
Leaving only a vapid pain of hunger  
  
And emptiness to dwell.  
  
I close my eyes to feel through the storm  
  
To the torpid breath of security  
  
Its warmth long gone  
  
The shadows are my soul  
  
For within them I see  
  
Past the pain of losing you  
  
Past the pain of losing me*  
  
~ Noelle~ (The author)  
  
"Give it back"  
  
"Marissa... this is amazing"  
  
"Fuck you" she grabbed the paper  
  
"No I'm serious, Marissa I'm not lying, you're gonna win" He looked at her truthfully and she blushed slightly, something she rarely did  
  
"You really think so?"  
  
"Yea" he laughed, "I really do"  
  
"Well, I gotta go turn it in, I'll see you in a bit" Marissa walked away and David shook his head in disbelief on the bench.  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
The game of street hockey had been cancelled because of inclement weather, but was rescheduled for the next morning, instead the kids decided to get to work on their jobs for the dance. Auggie, Scott, Dave, and Marissa were working on their music, Shelby had refused to go.  
  
"You guys I don't know about this, I know nothing about music, or singing."  
  
"Well, you know about writing, so let's see what you got" Dave went to grab the paper  
  
"Could you knock it off with that?"  
  
"Come on, we can't write music for it if you we don't know what it sounds like"  
  
"Fine, give me the goddamn paper"  
  
Marissa cleared her throat and began to sing:  
  
*AN: AGAIN. I STRESS, this is in no way mine, or a creation of mine, this is a creation of Avril Lavigne, I'm just pretending its my characters, its NOT lol okay continuing*  
  
"I'm standing on a bridge  
  
I'm waiting in the dark  
  
I thought that you'd be here by now  
  
There's nothin but the rain  
  
no footsteps on the ground  
  
I'm listening but there's no sound  
  
Isn't anyone trying to find me  
  
won't somebody come take me home  
  
It's a damn cold night  
  
trying to figure out this life  
  
wont you take me by the hand  
  
take me somewhere new  
  
I don't know who you are but I'm with you  
  
I'm with you  
  
I'm lookin for a place  
  
I'm searchin for a face  
  
is anybody here I know  
  
Cause nothins goin right  
  
and everythings a mess  
  
and no one likes to be alone  
  
Isn't anyone trying to find me  
  
won't somebody come take me home  
  
It's a damn cold night  
  
trying to figure out this life  
  
wont you take me by the hand  
  
take me somewhere new  
  
I don't know who you are but I'm with you  
  
I'm with you  
  
Oh!  
  
Why is everything so confusing  
  
Maybe I'm just out of my mind  
  
ya yeah yeah ya yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yea  
  
Its a damn cold night  
  
tryin to figure out this life  
  
won't you , take me by the hand  
  
take me somewhere new  
  
I don't know who you are but I...  
  
I'm with you  
  
I'm with you  
  
Take me by the hand take me somewhere new  
  
I dont know who you are but I...  
  
I'm with you  
  
I'm with you  
  
Take me by the hand take me somewhere new  
  
I don't know who you are but I'm ...  
  
I'm with you  
  
I'm with you  
  
I'm with you"  
  
~I'm with you (Avril Lavigne)  
  
  
  
The guys had joined in with her and had within the hour, complete their first song. The night was going good. This was not the case for everyone...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
9:00 am that morning  
  
"Mornin' donut pushas" Bosco waltzed into the room and greeted his co workers the way he always did... with sarcasm  
  
"Boz" Faith's voice shook from the doorway, immediately his demeanor changed and concern shook his body  
  
"What, what is it?"  
  
"Didn't you get my messages?"  
  
"What?" His mind flashed to the blinking red light of his machine he'd ignored only moments before  
  
"I've got bad news"  
  
"Oh god. Is it Marissa?? are you sick again? alright what is it?"  
  
"No, Marissa's fine, I'm fine, it's..."  
  
9:45 am.... The hospital  
  
"The damage was immense, we've already performed 3 major surgeries, the internal damage was almost irreparable, the chances of him waking up in the next two weeks are 27%, if, and I mean, IF, he wakes up, he has a 75% survival rate. It all depends on how he responds to the procedures and medication. The stab wounds were located below the jugular, above the liver, and just outside the left ventricle of the heart, We rarely see cases make it this far"  
  
"Thanks doc" Bosco entered the room, identical to the one his little sister had lay in less than 2 weeks before and stared down at the bed, this time, it was his brother. Mikey.  
  
"Damnit Mikey, you ain't gettin off the hook this easy, you fucked up and your gonna live long enough to fix it, you ain't leavin me alone with her and mom. You coulda been somethin, you still could be, you just gotta get in line wit the rest of us you know? You shouldn't have gone without me Mikey, you needed me to catch that asshole, now look. Fuck it" Bosco stood up and left the room to find his mother in tears.  
  
"Ma not now" Bosco brushed past her.  
  
"I put a message into Peter"  
  
"You WHAT?" He turned around to face his mother  
  
"She deserves to know! you know how much your sister loves him!"  
  
"God damn it ma, you don't ever think do you!, do you know... do you have the slightest idea what this is gonna do to her" He fought the urge to punch in the wall and turned to head down the stairs. He was gonna cancel that call to Peter, and tell her himself.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW PLEASE!!!!!!!!! no reviews= no update (thats my stern voice!) lol 


	7. One on One

HEY!!! I am soooooo sorry it took so long for this. I've been really really sick. Like, the kind of sick where you can't move off the couch for a week and a half. Um, alright so I'm going to Florida next week so depending on the REVIEWS *cough cough* I get, I will have another chapter up before I go, maybe even 2 lol. We'll see how that goes, Thanks to everyone who emailed me to review during the fanfiction.net crisis I really appreciated it and I'm sorry it took so long to get this up! Let me know what you think! As always I do not own Higher Ground or the characters on it, I own Marissa and the other new characters introduced in this chapter but thats it lol. Okay. ENJOY!! ______________________________________________________  
  
5:45 am  
  
The sun had barely risen off the mountains and the night air was still fresh in the sky as Marissa laced up her skates. The cold, wet dew formed tiny droplets on the grass and pavement. She inhaled the freshness of the air and the dew and a small sigh escaped her mouth. Who would of thought the underdeveloped civilizations of the countryside could become so refreshing. It had been a while since she'd laced her skates up, too long.  
  
Street hockey was a way of life for the kids on her block. Growing up it was basically all they had and all they wanted. Every morning before school, every afternoon after their homework and before dinner, when they got older there were midnight games that involved sneaking out. Always for fun never for fame, that was their motto. Unfortunately, those same kids who scraped up their knees and fell in the dirt with her, ended up a lot like herself, if not worse. People came and went, but there was a core group of about 6 who were there through middle school. Marissa, Adam, Kirsten, Josh, Ben, Frankie, and Angela. Towards the end of 8th grade, Angela had become more of Frankie's cheerleader than an actual participant. Ben had disappeared into his brother's crowd, a bunch of punk 20 year olds who spent more time inhaling drugs than actual oxygen. Josh was involved in a robbery and sentenced to 3 years juvie, Kirsten and Adam, Marissa's two best friends stuck around the longest. Kirsten ended up working the streets and sucked Marissa into that life style with her, but only after Adam sold out and went prep. He was sent to a private school in the village where he lived. None of them really saw each other anymore, they were just reminders to each other of the lives they used to have.  
  
The skates brought back more memories than she would have cared to have come rushing back to her. If only they had all come to a place like this, maybe it all could have been different. *I guess we'll never know*  
  
Scott skated up to her as she was dazing off.  
  
"You look a little worried there shorty, you know you can still call it and back down"  
  
"Kiss off Quarterback" she brushed past him as she skated ahead gaining momentum as she made her way down the court, gaining control of her skating legs for the first time in years. It all came back to her as if she'd never given it up. After doing a couple laps she decided it was time to play.  
  
"Alright whose in? or do I get my one on one?" Marissa winked at Scott and Shelby rolled her eyes.  
  
"I'm always up for a little one on one" Scott raised his eyebrows and skated forward a bit on the suggestive side.  
  
Marissa looked at Dave and nodded her head, he blew the whistle.  
  
"Good" The puck dropped and before Scott registered the fact that they were supposed to begin she'd already made her way down the court and shot the puck into the goal.  
  
"I wasn't ready" Scott protested as the others just laughed.  
  
"Right right, well, are you ready now?"  
  
"Well... yea, lets go"  
  
The puck dropped once again and this time Scott went for it, he was quick but nowhere near talented enough to match half a lifetime of skill. Marissa cleanly and swiftly stole the puck with some serious handling skill, shot it through his legs and brushed past him, Scott still unaware that he had lost control of the puck.  
  
"Huh?, Shit!"  
  
"Damn, homegirls got skills" Auggie and the others laughed as Scott tried desperately to catch up. Deciding she'd be nice, Marissa "danced" around the goal for a while with the puck, Scott kept approaching but wouldn't block her.  
  
"You gotta lighten up or you're never gonna get it"  
  
"You're a girl, I'm not gonna check you"  
  
"Then your not gonna get the puck. Get over it, just pretend I'm a guy"  
  
Scott laughed at this.  
  
"There's not enough imagination on this planet to make that image pop into my head"  
  
"I'll take that as a compliment, but..." she shot and scored "flattery isn't gonna win you this game. Defense is"  
  
"I think I know a little about defense... "  
  
"Well, you sure don't know how to act on it"  
  
This conversation continued as the others just stood back and laughed at Scott's incapability.  
  
"Yo Meat, what's the problem! I thought you could play anything!"  
  
"He won't touch her thats the problem" David spit out laughing  
  
"Coulda fooled me," Shelby muttered under her breath.  
  
"No, he means he won't check her, he's scared he'll hurt her, he's such a dipshit" Daisy shook her head with a scowl  
  
"Awww, that's so sweet." Juliette cooed  
  
"Yeah, but dumb if he actually wants to win the game" Ezra replied  
  
"I don't think he could win if he tied her to a tree, she'd find some way to mentally control the puck" David just rolled his eyes and sat down. He began to rip flowers out of the ground in boredom.  
  
"That's right Dave, continue on your path of destruction by ruining anything that constitutes as life"  
  
"This coming from Morticia" David spat back, Daisy just glared.  
  
"Scott, this is ridiculous, get over it and play or get off my court"  
  
"So this is your court now?"  
  
"Apparently it's been all my court for a while now considering you're too concerned with being a gentleman to actually play"  
  
"I don't hit girls"  
  
"Good, you shouldn't, but right now, you're not a guy and I'm not a girl, we're hockey players, it's a different breed and until you learn that, we're not gonna play."  
  
"Oh we're not huh?" Scott took his elbow pads and kneepads, as did Marissa  
  
"Nope" she sat down to take her skates off, it was almost time for breakfast anyhow  
  
Scott skated up to where she'd sat down on the pavement and plopped down beside her, he leaned in to whisper.  
  
"Tonight, midnight you and me, no audience"  
  
"Why, you've already been publicly humiliated by me, what's one more loss?" she smiled and pulled her skates off.  
  
"I think we could use some alone time thats all"  
  
"Well, how do other individuals feel about that?" Marissa nodded her head towards Shelby who was arguing with Daisy about something.  
  
"They're gonna have to get over it"  
  
"That's an easy demand for you to make, not an easy request for her to fill"  
  
"Look, Shelby's tough she'll get over it"  
  
Marissa looked toward Shelby who had her arms crossed and her eyes down, Daisy looked pissed, she was obviously not happy about something.  
  
"It's about the layers Scott. It's always the layers that catch up to you in the end" He just looked at her not sure what she meant but sure he needed to think about it. He was about to say something when everyone came rushing over.  
  
"Nice one meat"  
  
"Yea Mr.MVP how does it feel to get the crap beaten out of you by a girl?" Ezra pretended to be an interviewer.  
  
"Alright Alright, I get it, I know I lost, now can we get some food, I'm starving, that's probably why I had to let her win..."  
  
"LET ME WIN? you asshole!! you never even had a shot. I think all that peroxide you use on those precious curls must be depleting your brain cells quicker than we all thought"  
  
The teasing went on as the kids headed towards the dining hall for breakfast. The dance was that weekend and they had a lot of work to do.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
7:30 am the morning before  
  
"Do you need anything?" Faith Yokas tiredly whispered into the phone, she didn't have to be in till 9 that morning and didn't really appreciate the premature wake up call.  
  
"No, I'm good"  
  
"How's your ma?"  
  
"She's fine"  
  
"How are you?"  
  
"Faith-" his tone warned her that he didn't want to go any further on that topic  
  
"Alright, Boz. Let me know how it goes."  
  
"Later Faith"  
  
Bosco hung up the phone and sighed. Without taking another moment to think about it he grabbed his jacket and headed for the door, he swung it open and came faced to face with a kid just about to knock.  
  
"Can I help you?" He asked annoyed and trying to get out  
  
"Uh, well, I was looking for Marissa"  
  
"Look kid, I don't know who the hell you are or what you want with my sister, and frankly I don't really give two shits, but she's not here, and I gotta go"  
  
"Maurice please, I heard what happened, I know she probably doesn't wanna see me, I mean, I figured it'd been a while and maybe she wasn't so mad anymore, and ---"  
  
"Who the hell are you?"  
  
"It's me, Adam..."  
  
"Adam, who the.... Adam Cavalano? How's the east side?"  
  
"Uh... it's alright. Look.."  
  
"She's not here Adam but I'll tell her you came by lookin for her"  
  
"Well, where is she?"  
  
"Not here"  
  
"No I know, I mean-"  
  
"I know what you mean kid, now I hope you can get what I mean. She's not here. So get outta hear"  
  
Bosco started to walk away and for a second Adam just stood there but then he followed him.  
  
"Look Bosco, I noticed you don't like me, I get that, but I really want to see Marissa, she's...look she's the best friend I ever had you know? She... I know she hates me but I owe it to her to see her, try to ..."  
  
"Try to what, try to help her? she don't need your help, we're helpin her just fine her. Maybe you should of thought of helpin her when she and her other friend were out walking the streets all night doin god knows what, maybe you shoulda helped her when that other kid got tossed into juvie and she wouldn't come out of the god damn house for a month, or when that other one went and starting gang bangin with his brother's dirt bag friends. Look prep, you got out, you made it, congratulations and its nice of you to want to share the wealth, but you ain't comin. Like I said, I'll let her know you stopped by"  
  
"Well, I'm here now, and maybe thats a good idea. Like you said, I got out, I'm not like the rest of them. Maybe I could be you know, a good influence or something"  
  
The desperation was clear with this kid, even Bosco could see it. Any more influence was the last thing that Marissa needed, but maybe he had a point. Not sure why he was doing it, he silently consented and Adam hopped along with him into his car.  
  
"Don't talk, don't touch, don't breathe too loud." That was all he said and they drove off.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
After two days of complete silence the two guys pulled into the campgrounds and stepped out of the car. Adam stretched and looked around.  
  
"Can't believe you sent her here"  
  
"I told you no talkin" Bosco didn't even look at him as he headed into the main office. Adam decided not to follow, but to explore for himself.  
  
"Mr.Boscorelli" Peter greeted him with a hand shake "How was the trip"  
  
"Long" He looked around for a moment "Where is she?"  
  
"She's uh, setting up for the dance tonight" Sophie stepped into the room. "Want me to get her for you?"  
  
"Uh yea, yea that'd be good"  
  
Sophie nodded and closed the door behind her.  
  
"So, How's she been doin?"  
  
"Great, she's uh, supposed to be singing Saturday night at this dance they're all setting up for, her academics are good, she's excelling far and above many of the other students in her English classes. She's getting along with most of the students, there were some problems between her and another girl, but they seem to be working themselves out"  
  
"Thats good. Yea, she doesn't get along with too many girls."  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
Adam had somehow managed to lose himself near a lake and accidentally stumbled across two girls fighting.  
  
"You can't just do that, you'll never get away with it"  
  
"Well, I can't take it anymore!"  
  
"Have you even thought this through or are you just jealous over Marissa"  
  
Adam's ears perked up and he zoned into their conversation.  
  
"I'm not jealous"  
  
"I'd be jealous, we all see the way Scott looks at her"  
  
Adam laughed to himself, this was a reoccurring problem with Marissa.  
  
"Well, I'm not." Shelby replied through gritted teeth  
  
"What are you gonna do when they find you, which they will, what if they won't let you come back?"  
  
The question hung in the air.  
  
"I've gotta get back. They're too inept to hang up banners by themselves. I'll see you later" Daisy headed back towards the dance hall. Shelby sighed and kicked a rock by her foot before sitting down. A tree branch cracked under Adam's foot and she jumped up.  
  
"Who's there?"  
  
"Sorry, um I'm Adam and I'm kinda lost"  
  
"You a newbie?"  
  
"A newsie?"  
  
"Newbie, are you new here?"  
  
"OH! no no no, i'm just visiting a friend, what's your name?"  
  
"Shelby" Shelby took in his appearance, which wasn't bad. He had dark hair, almost black with piercing green eyes, white teeth and he was wearing a lot of abercrombie. She rolled her eyes.  
  
"So who were you trying to find?"  
  
"Uh... Marissa Boscorelli"  
  
"Figures, come on preppy, I'll lead the way"  
  
Adam followed her down the docks and towards the building ahead . ~~~~~~  
  
"No guys, stop wait WAIT! no! damnit"  
  
Marissa had been trying to direct the guys in setting up the decorations for over an hour. It was quickly becoming a futile mission considering they couldn't handle basic instructions. Auggie would pull one way while Scott would pull the other, Dave would throw paint at Ezra and Ezra would drip onto the posters. This had been the scence for far too long and finally, the banner ripped.  
  
"I give up" Marissa sighed in exasperation and sat down on a bench.  
  
"Never figured you for a quitter" A voice called from behind her, a voice she recognized instantly.  
  
"Never figured you for a preppy. It's funny how these things happen overnight"  
  
Marissa turned around secretly thrilled to see him, not that anyone would be able to tell, besides Adam.  
  
"You look great"  
  
"I look like a Picasso" Marissa looked down at her black tee shirt covered in all different colors of paint.  
  
"You wear it well"  
  
"Adam, what are you doin here?" She motioned for him to take a walk with her outside. Scott glanced over with a concerned look, not pleased about this potential competition.  
  
"I wanted to see how you were, I ran into Ben, he's getting himself clean in some clinic. He wants to be an EMT, his brother was just hit. Anyhow so I ran into him and he said that Frankie had run into Kirsten and it turns out that she's workin the streets and Angela thought you were workin em with her, so I had to see if it was true, I figured Josh would know so I went to visit him up at Juvie and wouldn't you know it, Kirsten was there she was talkin to Josh on one of them little phone things and he looked PISSED, he was slammin the phone and everythin, so then I went up to her and was all cryin and shit so then she told me... well, she told me what happened. About how you was in the hospital and stuff. Then I went to the apartment and ran into Maurice and hitched a ride with him here"  
  
"You know, it amazes me that after almost 4 years in a nice private prep academy, you still can't get your grammar right. So Ben's EMT now?"  
  
"Why do you do that?"  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Avoid"  
  
"It's just in my nature"  
  
"So do I get a hug or somethin"  
  
"I don't know"  
  
"Come on" Marissa laughed and jumped into his arms and he twirled her around to the EXTREME distaste of a nearby Scott.  
  
"So my brother's here?"  
  
"...Yea..."  
  
"What's he... oh wait... Scott!! over here!" Silently thanking God she didnt' ask him what they were doing there Adam turned to meet Scott.  
  
"Scott, this is one of my best friends from the city, Adam, he's one of the guys I was tellin you about, he plays hockey, or played anyhow"  
  
"Nice to meet you"  
  
"You too, so you played her?"  
  
"I wouldn't exactly call it a game"  
  
"Yea thats usually how it goes with her."  
  
"He wouldn't check me so it was barely a game"  
  
"Ohhhh, yea you're gonna have to get over that otherwise you'll never come close to scoring"  
  
"Yea and he's definitly been working on the scoring aspect" Shelby walked up from behind them.  
  
"Adam... this is Barb... I mean Shelby"  
  
"Yea we met"  
  
"Oh you did?"  
  
Before the conversation could continue any further, Sophie came and pulled Marissa aside and into the office. Scott and Shelby just looked at Adam who shook his head.  
  
~~~~~~~~ The three of them waited in chairs outside the office, they couldn't hear anything that was being said or if the meeting was almost over or not. Finally, after what felt like centuries, the door swung open and Bosco, Peter, Sophie and Marissa walked out.  
  
Adam looked at her but she wouldn't look at him, or anyone for that matter, She wasn't crying, her face just looked like stone. All the warming up she'd done to everyone in the past couple weeks had once again frozen up as she brushed off Scott who tried to say something to her.  
  
"Not now" Adam whispered. Scott ran his hands through his hair and stalked off.  
  
"What happened" Shelby asked, not giving away in her tone whether or not she was really interested.  
  
"Her brother's in the hospital, it doesn't look good, he was attacked. He found the guys who... well. "  
  
"Who what?"  
  
"Well, you know, who attacked her, when she was on the streets"  
  
"She was on the streets? wait a minute, are you saying she was raped?"  
  
"oh fuck. You didn't know, I thought you guys all had like issues and talked about them with each other."  
  
"Issues? Look, I don't know what you've seen on Maury Povich, but we're not a different species okay. And, no, we don't tell each other what we don't want anyone to know" Shelby stood up and stalked off.  
  
"Shit. She's gonna kill me" Adam sunk into his chair before standing up to go find Marissa. ~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So you're leaving?" Scott stood in the doorway of the girls dorm.  
  
"It would appear that way" Marissa locked the last of her suitcases and slid her signature black sunglasses over her stormy eyes.  
  
"What happened"  
  
"Life"  
  
Scott walked over to her and lifted the sunglasses from her eyes.  
  
"You shouldn't cover them up all the time"  
  
"I like it that way"  
  
"I know... the layers right"  
  
"ah, you're learning"  
  
"You ever gonna let me know what ..."  
  
"I don't know. I think I have to figure it out for myself first"  
  
"When are you coming back?"  
  
"I don't know"  
  
"Are you coming back?"  
  
"I don't know"  
  
"Well, when will you know?"  
  
"I don't know"  
  
He sighed, this was going nowhere.  
  
"Well, when you do know, will you let me know?"  
  
Marissa looked up and into his eyes. If only things had been different, different lives, different circumstances, different memories, then maybe this would all be easier.  
  
"Marissa lets go!" a voice called from outside.  
  
Never breaking her stare she leaned up and kissed him, quickly and softly. Then she picked up her bags and headed out the door.  
  
"Here, " she handed him a tape "It's not me singing its just a song that reminds me of you guys and stuff. Play it tomorrow, Don't follow me"  
  
Scott complied and just sat on the bed. He popped the tape into the radio  
  
*Good Charlotte "Motivation Proclamation"*  
  
brSpend your lazy, Endless crazy, Days inside my head, You're so selfish, You're not the only, One who thinks he's dead, I'm paid to smile, Now I'm on trial, For what you think I said,  
  
But I never said, That everything, would be okay, And I never said, That we would live, to see another day, yeah, yeah, (What)  
  
Motivate me, I wanna get myself out of this bed, I want good thoughts inside of my head If I fall down, would you come around, pick me right up off the ground If I fall down, would you come around, pick me right up off the ground  
  
un-realistic, narcissistic, You say I'm selfish and absurd, You try to change me, You try to save me, You say I'm gonna learn I'm so blind, I'm out of time You're so unkind sometimes I never lied, I never lied, I never lied,  
  
but I never said That everything would be okay And I never said That we would live to see another day  
  
Motivate me I wanna get myself out of this bed Captivate me If I fall down, would you come around, pick me right up off the ground If I fall down, would you come around, pick me right up... Cause everything It'll be okay You know we're gonna live To see another day, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah/br  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
"Is this the last one?" Adam asked her as they were loading the car.  
  
"Yea it should be"  
  
Bosco was talking some things over with Peter and everyone else was lined up waiting to say goodbye.  
  
"Oh, I'm gonna miss you so much!!!" Juliette squeezed her tight  
  
"Uh... haha okay , um you're gonna be missing me even more if you don't allow me to inhale oxygen soon"  
  
"Sorry" Auggie pulled Jules off her and gave her a quick hug.  
  
"Next time you want a real game let me know"  
  
"I'll do that" she laughed  
  
"Oh Marissa, you're breakin my heart here" Dave pretending to break down and cry, he fell to his knees and mocking marlon brando in the old hit "street car named desire" he let out a loud  
  
"MARISSA!!!!" (AN: instead of "stella" this won't make sense to anyone who hasn't read the book or seen the movie lol)  
  
"Get up you freak" She gave him a quick hug and then proceeded to say goodbye to all others present. Neither Shelby nor Daisy had showed. Which was fine. The three of them climbed into the car and headed back towards the city.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The hospital  
  
"Marissa are you sure you wanna do this, maybe you should wait, he doesn't look ...good" Bosco was trying unsuccessfully to detain her  
  
"Maurice, he's my brother. I didn't look good either 2 weeks ago and both of you came to see me. Besides, its my fault he's here to begin with"  
  
"Hey" he grabbed her by the shoulders and made her face him "Hey... this is NOT your fault, no part of this is your fault, He's the dumbass that went after the guy by himself. Not you okay? not you."  
  
Marissa just pushed past him and opened the door to Mikey's room. He was laying in the bed unconscious and stuck full of tubes.  
  
"Oh my god" she whispered. Gingerly she stepped forwards and lifted up his hand into hers.  
  
"What do the doctors say? Maurice? and don't bullshit me, I'm not 12"  
  
"They say...well look at him baby, it's not good. But that doesn't mean he's not gonna make it. Mikey'll pull through, he always manages to." The machines beep continued to penetrate the silent room until a knock on the door. It was Faith.  
  
"Hey sweetheart how are you?" Faith gave Marissa a hug.  
  
"I'm existing, you?"  
  
"can't complain, I was lookin for you actually Bos"  
  
"you gonna be alright?"  
  
Marissa nodded and he left the room behind Faith.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "We have a problem" Faith pulled him into the corner near a vending machine  
  
"What?"  
  
"Do you know a Joshua Whitman?"  
  
"Yea, he grew up in the neighborhood with Marissa, last I heard he's serving a few years in juvie for knockin over a couple stores"  
  
"Yea well he's out. He escaped, and now two guys turned up dead, one of whom fits the description Marissa gave us as to one of her attackers."  
  
"So what, you sayin her friend is killin off the guys who..."  
  
"I don't know....is that what I'm sayin?"  
  
"It's what you're thinkin"  
  
"It hasn't been released yet, I checked files. I thought you should know, thought maybe you'd wanna handle it, find him before the others do. He could do hard time for this."  
  
"I'll find him. Don't worry about it, just stay with her till I get back alright."  
  
"I gotta go get the kids, Fred's sick"  
  
"I can stay with her" a voice popped up from around the corner.  
  
"Adam..."  
  
"What?"  
  
Bosco sighed.  
  
"What the hell, just make sure she doesn't get into any trouble, I'll be back soon"  
  
"Actually, hey Adam? thats your name right? do you know anything about a Josh.." Faith began  
  
"What about him" Adam interjected immedietley  
  
"Where is he?" Faith instantly replied, it was evident in his response that he knew something.  
  
Adam sighed and looked down, running a hand through his dark hair.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Back at Horizon:  
  
"She's gone and I have no idea where she is" Sophie frantically called to Peter "I've looked everywhere talked to everyone, shes gone"  
  
"Put out the call" Peter sighed grabbing his coat "She couldn't have gone far"  
  
"Damnit Shelby" Daisy muttered hiding behind the closet door.  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
Shelby wrapped the jacket tighter around her as she stepped out of the cab. She walked to phone book and opened it up searching for a name. Finding what she was looking for she tore out the page and started walking. About an hour later she found where she was looking to go. She pressed the buzzer to apartment 5C and waited for someone to pick up.  
  
"Hello?" a woman's voice rang out from the speaker  
  
"Yes, hello is this Mrs. Boscorelli?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
REVIEW!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! lol please???:) 


	8. Somewhere out there

HEY!!! I know its been a while but I was on vacation, and I'm going back on vacation next week!!! Expect many updates when I get back because all my friends will be going to college and I have another 2 weeks before I go, (my college has to be difficult and start later than everyone else) Okay, well theres nothing I have to disclaim really besides the fact that I do not own anyone on Higher Ground or the idea, I only own my characters. And as far as the characters go I added them just to give more flexibility in the story line, back up really lol. Okay well as always LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK :)!!!!  
  
__________________________________  
  
"Adam, Adam look at me. If you know somethin you gotta let us know." Faith pleaded with the boy  
  
"Look, I may have left the neighborhood but the neighborhood never left me. I never forgot where I came from, and I'm not gonna now. I'm not a rat. I may seem like a prep or a punk rich kid from the village or whatever you think I am, but I don't sell out my friends."  
  
"I thought you east side boys were all alike prep" Bosco interjected  
  
" East side don't mean shit. I'm from where I'm from."  
  
"Look kid, I don't know what the hell you're talkin about but his life and the lives of many others could be in serious danger... now if you really care about-"  
  
"If Josh is responsible for these hits or whatever you think he's doin, know that he ain't just doin it to do it, he has his reasons and you better believe they're good." Adam shrugged past a pleading/annoyed Faith and Bosco's stone glare.  
  
"No one is doubting his intentions Adam, just his choices" Faith continued her argument while Adam walked away.  
  
Bosco stared hard into the ground, truth be told, he couldn't blame the kid for keeping his mouth shut, hell he almost ALMOST respected him for it. As far as this Josh kid went, the only thing he had an issue with was the fact that he wasn't doing it himself.  
  
Adam turned the corner leaving the two frustrated officers alone in the hallway.  
  
"Damn kids, they never put things into perspective you know?...Boz?"  
  
"I don't know, I think that kids gotta pretty good head on his shoulders"  
  
"You would" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Mikey? Look, I don't know if you can hear me, I mean... hell, I don't remember a thing anyone said to me while I was layin here but... well, I just want you to know that I'm sorry and that ... that you have to get better okay? cause we all need you back here, even Maurice. I know you guys have your problems but he loves you, you just piss him off so much" she laughed slightly at this and wiped a tear from her eye.  
  
"Oh mike, what the hell were you thinkin, this is all my fault"  
  
Marissa sighed and turned her back to his bed. If only their lives had been more like leave it to beaver and less like the Godfather.  
  
"Hey babygirl, I hope those ain't tears in your eyes cause I'll have to pop the punk that put them there" a quiet, raspy voice struggled to escape the young mans tattered lungs.  
  
"Mikey???" Marissa turned around in shock and threw herself into her brothers chest.  
  
"No one thought you'd wake up!"  
  
"Babe you're gonna have to... OUCH... "  
  
"Sorry, I panicked" Marissa smiled softly and backed off her brothers wounds  
  
"Oh my god I can't believe you're awake and okay, I gotta go get Maurice..."  
  
"No! I don't think thats such a good idea. We ain't on the best of terms right now if you know what I mean, frankly I don't think he gives a shit whether or not my hearts still pumpin"  
  
"Shut up, you know thats not true. You know how he gets when he feels like hes not in control, these past few months, especially these past few weeks with.. you know... everything... he's just trying to grasp at what he can"  
  
"yea well. I still think we should maybe wait a while. Hey look at it this way! Say he's not okay with me being okay and we get into one of our "heavy conversations", I'm not exactly in any condition to be dealin with his wrath now am I"  
  
Marissa laughed at this and consented.  
  
"Can I get you anything?"  
  
"Hows about one of them cute little candy stripas"  
  
"How about some food"  
  
"Eh... beggas can't be choosas"  
  
"No, especially not you" Marissa leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Maybe fate wasn't perpetually trying to take everything away from her. Maybe she did have a shot at a real life.  
  
"I'll be back later, get some more rest" Marissa turned and left the room.  
  
"Some more rest? I've been in a freakin coma how much more rest could I need?" Mikey laughed and turned on the tv.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
At the Boscorelli household:  
  
"Well, I'm sorry sweetie but Marissa's not home, she's at ... well... a "summer camp" for the next few weeks or so, but I can let her know you stopped by. What was your name again hun?" The middle aged woman barely looked up from her tv guide crossword puzzle.  
  
"uh. Shelby. Look. This was a bad idea anyhow you know what, don't even tell her I came, It was dumb of me to think... "  
  
Shelby let her eyes stray across the apartment halls and into the rooms. Her fingertips lightly grazed a bureau that sat next to the living room entrance. The apartment was small as most were in neighborhoods such as this. The living room, dining room and entrance were all the same area. There was a tiny kitchen with a cross over the open frames where a door should have been. The walls were a sky blue and white linen hung from the window frame. Statues of the virgin Mary and other religious figures hung from the walls and rested on the few countertops that the small room provided. The sink was half full with dishes soaking. It was a cluttered apartment but not a messy one. It was lived in, it was a home, there were family pictures everywhere. A mother, in some a father, two boys and one girl. A pang rushed through Shelby, an innate irrepressible urge, a longing to have half of what she saw just by looking around. She missed her mother and her sister.  
  
"To think what sweetheart?" the woman's voice invaded her thoughts.  
  
Mrs. Boscorelli finally looked up from her puzzle long enough to take a good look at the girl who sat before her. Tired eyes were glazed over with defeat. The girl was shades lighter than her own daughter, light hair, light eyes, light skin, but the eyes, the eyes spoke the same words. They spoke of pain, exhaustion, and faulty frustration. The familiarity chilled her.  
  
"Shelby... was it? what was it exactly you needed from her, maybe I can help you."  
  
"No, I don't ... I don't really know why I'm here myself to be honest with you. I just thought that... well never mind, look I really gotta go, thanks for the iced tea." Shelby stood up quickly to head for the door.  
  
Mrs. Boscorelli instinctively stood up. Though she wasn't Martha Stewart homemaker mom of the year, she loved her kids, she'd do anything for any of them, or friends of theirs. She couldn't in her right mind let this girl walk out.  
  
"Wait a minute hun! Don't go, uh... here" she pulled out two 20's from her bra and handed them to Shelby.  
  
"Uh, thats okay... really."  
  
"Well, do you even have a place to go?"  
  
"Of course I do"  
  
The older woman was not naive, she took one good look at the run down teenager in front of her and knew there was no one waiting for her besides the streets.  
  
"Look, Marissa's not here but her room is. If you need a place to stay, even if its just for tonight you're welcome. I won't be here, I work nights so you'll have the place to yourself. Its not much but its better than what's out there."  
  
"Thats very nice of you, but I'm a complete stranger. Would your daughter be okay with the fact that you let random people sleep in her bed."  
  
"Well you're a friend of hers aren't you. Look, I've gotta get to work. I'm leaving the 40 here and the rest is up to you."  
  
"You're not even worried I'll take something?"  
  
"Honey, look around, there isn't anything to take. Shit I'm gonna be late. Alright, well I gotta get outta here so do you what you want but if you're gonna leave, take care of yourself, if you decide to stay there's some left over lasagna in the fridge." Mrs. Boscorelli grabbed a leopard print raincoat and ran out of the apartment.  
  
Shelby sighed. It was better than the motel 6/whorehouse up the block. What was she doing? A friend of Marissa's? yea right. Ironically enough, out of all the kids there they did have the most in common. Maybe that was the problem. She took a step down the hallway past a small bathroom on her left and slowly pushed open the door to Marissa's room. A pale lavender radiated off the walls contrasted extremely by a fuchsia trim and turquoise bed spread. Shelby stepped further into the room and onto the dark wood floors. A small lavender area rug sat in the center of her floor. Some cut up photos were still laying there, it was as if she'd left in a hurry. A soft breeze was blowing up her white curtains and horns blared in the distance. Shelby ran her fingers over the light wood furniture. A dresser, a desk, a night stand. There was a picture of the five of them next to her bed. Marissa must have been around 3 or 4 in the picture tops, she was sitting on top of an older man's lap, her father probably. It was the only one of him in her room. All the others were of kids or her brothers. One picture in particular caught her eye seh bent to pick it up .  
  
"Adam" she breathed it was a group of kids playing by an opened fire hydrant, splashing each other. Adam and another girl were getting hit by 2 other boys she didn't recognize. Marissa was laughing in the background.  
  
Shelby went to sit on the bed  
  
"Who the hell are you?" a voice caught her by suprise and she dropped the picture.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Back at Horizon  
  
"What was she thinking?"  
  
"What is she ever thinking?"  
  
"Its funny, I never even knew she had the ability to think."  
  
"Shut up Dave"  
  
"You shut up Daisy, aren't you supposed to be her best friend, shouldn't you know where she is?"  
  
"Leave her alone Jules"  
  
"EZ your just hard for Daisy so why don't you just step"  
  
"Why doesn't everybody just relax. She's never gone for long. I'm sure she just needed some time for herself or whatever."  
  
"So she could have gone for a walk by the lake. Come on guys face it, she ran away. They'll find her or she'll come back, its how it is always goes." Scott ran a tired hand through his wavy hair.  
  
"Gee Scott your compassion astounds me" Daisy's voice dripped with sarcasm "You know, maybe if you didn't mess with her head none of this would have happened"  
  
"What are you talking about messed with her head?"  
  
"Wasn't her head already messed up, I mean wasn't that why she was here?"  
  
"DAVE!! shut up!" they all chorused  
  
"Face it, you led her on, you were inseparable up until your precious Marissa showed up"  
  
"Leave Marissa out of this. She didn't do anything"  
  
"Please, she was after you from the second she saw you"  
  
"Actually, if I may interject. What the hell I'm going to anyhow. I think its a safe bet to say that I knew her best and can stand correct in staying it was Mr. varsity here who was after her from the minute she arrived" David pointed out.  
  
"The dysfunctional dipshit has a point meat" Ezra admitted  
  
"Look, Shelby and I weren't going out."  
  
"Oh give me a break! you were the closest thing to a working couple I've seen since I've arrived in this god forsaken hell hole."  
  
"Yea but they were never legit!" Jules pointed out  
  
"You're all so blind, just know that if anything happens to her it should be on your shoulders."  
  
"You can't blame me for what she does to herself. It's not my fault she ran away and can't handle anything, and its not my fault for liking Marissa, and why don't you try getting a life of your own to concern yourself with instead of making yourself Shelby's servant henchwoman."  
  
Scott pushed past a stunned Daisy and a silenced room of fellow cliffhangers and walked out of the cabin.  
  
Scott cared about Shelby. He wasn't gonna deny that he'd had strong feelings for her and that up until Marissa came, those feeling were only for her. But Marissa was, as mean as it may sound, new. Not just that, but he just felt good around her. He felt normal. With Shelby they were best friends on a level that could never be compromised but he was Scott from Horizon, with Marissa it was like for a second, he was back to being Scott the normal teenage cocky jock from your average high school.  
  
Right now he had to much on his mind, it was times like these he'd crave hits the most, it he could just find anything, anything to stop thinking about it all. He wanted to go find Shelby and bring her back, if he had any idea where to start looking he'd have run right then and there, but it was pointless, she could be anywhere from hiding in the woods to San Francisco.  
  
"You thinkin bout her?"  
  
"Dave, if you have any random intelligence left in that oversized empty air balloon you call your brain, you'd back off right now."  
  
"It was a simple question"  
  
"She'll come back"  
  
"Which one?"  
  
Scott looked up, the insinuation was clear. Truth be told he was talking about Shelby, he was thinking about Shelby, but in the back of his mind, he was also worried about Marissa. He didn't know what he wanted, or who for that matter.  
  
"Did she tell you anything? about why she was leaving"  
  
"If she did I wouldn't tell you."  
  
Scott just glared at him. Dave cleared his throat and looked up at the sky.  
  
"Well, I guess I'll be going, wouldn't want to miss any important emails or anything."  
  
"Yea guess not" Scott rolled his eyes and watched him walked away, a little insulted at the implication that Marissa would be sending emails to David the human mistake over him.  
  
"maybe peter knows something" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I called her mother, her sister, the sheriff, no ones seen her or heard from her" Sophie tossed the phone book onto the desk and sat down, head in hands.  
  
"I don't know where else to look Peter."  
  
"Okay just calm down, she couldn't have gone too far, I mean she knows this could jeopardize her enrollment here, she's going to come back. We just, we have to wait "  
  
"She was so upset over this Scott/Marissa thing, God only knows what state of mind she was in..."  
  
"Sophie... come on. Look at me." Peter raised her head to his and stared into her eyes.  
  
"She'll be back soon, I promise"  
  
"I know, I know, you're right. I'll pull myself together just give me a few minutes?"  
  
"Sure." Peter squeezed her shoulder and then left the room only to come face to face with Scott.  
  
"Barringer I know no more than you do and even if I did find out anything that information is confidential."  
  
"Look, I just wanna know if she's alright"  
  
"Who?"  
  
Scott opened his mouth to say Shelby but then caught himself wondering whether or not Peter could maybe fill in some of the questions he still had regarding Marissa. He shook his head. *one thing at a time Scott*  
  
"Shelby"  
  
"Look, you and I both know she's a tough girl, she'll take care of herself"  
  
"So you still don't know anything either"  
  
Peter just sighed. Scott closed his eyes and leaned against the wall.  
  
"I hate girls"  
  
"Only gets worse with age" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Marissa was heading home to pick up a few things for Mikey, Adam had disappeared Maurice was working as was her mother. Maurice had decided that she could either stay with him at the station or stay at the hospital with Mikey. She'd chosen the latter.  
  
Marissa picked up her pace, it was getting late and she needed to get back before it got any darker. As she walked her thoughts traveled back over the past few weeks. She was glad to be home, it wasn't the same though. It hadn't been in a while, she'd just been to caught up in everything to let herself realize it. She found herself, oddly enough, missing Horizon a little, not the school, or the fact that she had to go there, just the fact that there was a group of kids that had the potential to be close, if they could all get over themselves that is. It was almost like a second chance, she just liked that fact that it reminded her of her own friends back in the day.  
  
"You shouldn't frown so much, you know what they say, you never know when someone may be fallin in love with your smile"  
  
Marissa jumped back and wrapped her long black sweater around her tighter.  
  
"who says I want anyone to fall in love with me"  
  
A cigerette burned in the darkness of the alley way and when a cab past she could see a smile stretch out over a shadowy face. One she recognized instantly.  
  
"Josh?"  
  
"Hey Marissa" He cautiously stepped out of the shadows and stood awkwardly in front of her. He looked like he needed food and a shower.  
  
"How the hell are you out?"  
  
"Don't ask dumb questions babygirl"  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"Yea. I heard you weren't doin so hot yourself though"  
  
Marissa's eyes fell for a moment but then lit up again.  
  
"Josh I'm fine, its so good to see you!" She threw herself at him and he caught her laughing. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and he put her down.  
  
"Come on"  
  
"Where are we going"  
  
"You can't stay here, and you need a shower"  
  
"Rissa..."  
  
"Lets go"  
  
"Look its not such a good idea for you to be here with me"  
  
"Babe, you don't even know where I've been these past few months, trust me, you're like a trip to Disney"  
  
"Yea, I heard your brother sent you to come cabin in the woods with white picket fences."  
  
"Something like that"  
  
"Do you have any more of those?"  
  
"Since when do you smoke"  
  
"Fuck you, do you have any more?"  
  
"Not for you"  
  
"Josh"  
  
"Marissa"  
  
"So when were you supposed to get out"  
  
"A couple more months"  
  
"Then what the hell are you doin bustin out now?"  
  
"I had some business to take care of."  
  
"Josh what are you doing"  
  
"What'd I say about those questions"  
  
"Look, I can't take any more hospital visits okay"  
  
"Don't worry about it"  
  
"Yea okay, I won't "worry" about another person I care about laid up in some -"  
  
"Marissa, what the hell did they do to you up there"  
  
"I don't even know" she laughed and led the way back to the apartment.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"She's usually back by now. No, she's ALWAYS back by now" Daisy paced across the floor during a makeshift group.  
  
"Daisy has a point" Jules said nervously  
  
"You guys, she can handle herself" Kat offered  
  
"She's so selfish. Thats the one thing no one wants to say. She thinks that she can just leave and not worry what other people are gonna have to deal with because of it."  
  
"You're such an egomaniac. Selfish? How dare you"  
  
"Yo, Meats gotta good point, she don't think about anyone but herself"  
  
"She probably just doesn't think any of us would care"  
  
"Gee I wonder who gave her that idea" Daisy shot an evil glare towards Scott who rolled his eyes.  
  
"GUYS! calm down" Peter stepped up to separate it and stop the conversation from going any further in that direction.  
  
"You all have good valid points, but the bottom line is, Shelby isn't here to defend herself or her actions and as frustrating as it is, we can't do anything about it."  
  
"So what are we supposed to do?" Daisy asked angrily  
  
Peter sighed and looked down  
  
"Just wait"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!!! 


	9. Edge Of Seventeen

AUTHORS NOTE: I'm so sorry that this took so long to get up! It's been so crazy with getting ready for college and work. Well, if anyone is still reading this! You'll be glad to know that any form of writer's block I had is very much over and I definitely know where this story is going from here on out. This means the next update will be here really soon. Maybe even today. Just a warning, this chapter contains a lot more of New York than it does Horizon, but I had to take it back to where it started. I'm sorry if any one gets confused!!!! Also, I'm considering a sequel to this story and was wondering if anyone would be interested in one! As always I don't own any characters that appear on either Higher Ground or Third Watch, I only own Marisa and her friends!!!!! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!!!!!! :) Enjoy!  
  
________________________________________________________________  
  
"What the hell are you doin here?"  
  
"I was just..." Shelby stood up in a panic and frantically began to fidget with the rings on her fingers.  
  
"Who the hell are you?"  
  
"Who the hell are you?"  
  
Time stood still for Shelby. The shadows of moving cars flew across the curtains behind her as she stared at the figure in the corner.  
  
"Look sweet cheeks, I don't really give a fuck who the hell you are, I just wanna know what the hell you think you're doin here"  
  
"Look, Asshole. I don't really give a shit what you wanna know. Besides, I was just leaving"  
  
"Not from around here are you" His voice grabbed her in its gruff stopping her in her tracks toward the door.  
  
"And you think thats your business because?..."  
  
"No need for the lip sweetheart"  
  
"No need for the presence jackass"  
  
"So you a friend of Marisa's?"  
  
"Are you?"  
  
"I asked you first"  
  
"I don't care"  
  
"Yea, we go back, you?"  
  
"We can't stand each other"  
  
The man flipped a light switch next to a dresser on and Shelby shut her eyes against the harshness of its unexpected glow.  
  
"Sorry, didn't realize you was so sensitive" The kid took another drag of his cigarette and walked over to the window to flick it out.  
  
Silence hung in the air as the kid looked over Shelby. Although extremely uncomfortable, she took in his as well. Dirty blond wavy hair, deep blue eyes, torn leather jacket, jeans, dirty white tee shirt, he looked like a modern day James Dean. Marisa sure had good taste in platonic relationships, if they even were platonic.  
  
"Yea, Marisa never did get along with other chicks, none of our girls ever did."  
  
"Your girls?"  
  
"It was a neighborhood thing" He left no intonation in his voice leaning towards any specific emotion, but his eyes softened when he lifted the photograph off the floor Shelby had been looking at only a moment before.  
  
"So what, you passed each other around or something?" Shelby rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.  
  
"No." His eyes hardened and he glared at her. "It was nothin like that."  
  
"Whoa there killer" Shelby raised her eye brows and raised her hands up in surrender "Didn't mean to disturb the peace"  
  
"Yea I'll bet." He brushed past her  
  
"Where are you going?" she called out before she even realized she had done it.  
  
A smirk grew across his face  
  
"And thats your business cause?"  
  
"Touché"  
  
"I'm gettin a drink. You want somethin? "  
  
"I was actually gonna try some of the lasagna Mrs. Boscorelli said was left over, care to join me?"  
  
"Is this a date?"  
  
"You light the candles I'll grab the Trojans" sarcasm oozed off her voice as she rolled her eyes.  
  
"You know who you kinda sound like" A small laugh escaped his mouth  
  
"Don't say it"  
  
"But you don't even know who..."  
  
"Shelby"  
  
"Huh, no I was gonna say-"  
  
"It's my name moron. Shelby."  
  
"Oh. Right. Yea, I'm Ben" He extended his hand and she took it.  
  
"So Ben, tell me, do you always pick up dates by coming off like an axe murder?..."  
  
"Nah, you just seemed like an easy target"  
  
The two stepped into the kitchen. "Ben" grabbed the sodas as Shelby stuck the pasta into the oven to reheat it.  
  
"So Shelby, now that we've known each other for all of..." he pretended to check his watch "14 minutes and 17 seconds, wanna tell me what you are doin here? Especially considerin you two don't get along so well"  
  
"You first" she raised an eyebrow challenging him.  
  
"Like I said, we go back, I was hearin some things I wanted to know the truth about"  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Why you have answers?" he looked at her skeptically  
  
"I might."  
  
"Right, cause you two get on so well. Where do you know her from anyhow? You don't look like you're from around here."  
  
"Trust me. This place isn't much different from anywhere else."  
  
"Now I KNOW you aren't from around here"  
  
"I met her at school"  
  
"Bull. I would have met you too"  
  
"Not your school. Her new school"  
  
"And what school is that?"  
  
"Horizon."  
  
"What are you talkin about? Wait, are you talkin bout the place Maurice sent her to? The Martha Stewart detention center in the mountains?"  
  
"It's not a detention center. It's more of a boarding school for misguided youth."  
  
"Aren't all youths misguided? Isn't that the point of being a youth?"  
  
Shelby just shrugged.  
  
"So why are you here now? I mean, I know why Marisa's here, Mikey..." Ben just looked down "A Boscorelli can't catch a break if it's not to a bone anymore."  
  
"Whose Mikey?"  
  
"Her brother"  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"It's complicated. It's a street/blood thing. He went after somebody without anyone wit him, he shoulda waited, we all woulda gone. It was stupid. He ran into trouble, hell no one to back me up I woulda too. Anyhow, last I heard he ain't lookin so hot down at Mercy."  
  
"That sucks."  
  
"Yeah. It does. Anyhow, so like I said, I came to see a friend. What's your excuse?"  
  
"I came to see an enemy" With that, Shelby stood up to get their lasagna  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Here." Faith set a cup of black coffee in front of Bosco's seat behind his desk. The captain had basically reamed him out good.  
  
"Thanks" He mumbled, dejected like a little kid.  
  
"What's a matter Boz, did teach yell at you again."  
  
"Apparently, I am a wannabe cowboy with a lit canon attached to my ass at all times and until the flame goes out I am not allowed out of the office. Public safety and all."  
  
Faith fought the urge to smile. That was a pretty accurate description.  
  
"So you're on office detail?" This time her smirk couldn't repress itself.  
  
"Ey, Hold on a second miss Mary sunshine, this affects you too."  
  
A knock on the door brought Faith's eyes upward in confusion.  
  
"Come on in Gus" The smug look broke into a laugh as he watched her face change.  
  
"You have got to be kiddin me Boz. I can't believe you! You are such a... I can't be in a car with him all day I'll end up throwin myself under the tires!"  
  
"Hey, its the price you pay for ridin with a loose cannon such as myself"  
  
"uh.. Hi guys!" Gusler awkwardly made his way in.  
  
"Get out" Bosco shooed him away  
  
"But.."  
  
"Gusler!" Both Bosco and Faith yelled as the kid practically ran from the room.  
  
Boz let out a small laugh, followed by a sigh. He turned around and fidgeted with the rim of the coffee cup.  
  
"So, did you two clear everything up? Have you talked about anything?"  
  
"Faith..."  
  
"No Maurice. Look. She's seventeen years old. She was just attacked and raped. She has one brother who she feels betrayed her and one who just barely escaped death -"  
  
"I think I know the situation Faith."  
  
"Do you Boz, cause you didn't know the situation when she was out on the streets. You didn't know cause you didn't want to know. She's scared Bosco."  
  
"Fuck you Faith." Bosco stood up, grabbed his jacket and stormed out of the room  
  
"Boz! Bosco! I'm just tryin to-"  
  
"Fuck it" Faith grabbed her hat and the coffee Bosco had left on the desk.  
  
"GUSLER! LET'S GO!" She was pissed, she almost pitied the kid considering she was gonna spend her night taking it out on him.  
  
"Fuckin shit..." Bosco mumbled as he slipped the keys into the ignition and pulled away.  
  
"What the fuck am I gonna do?" he asked no one as he silently drove back to his apartment alone.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Hey wait. " Josh pulled her back into an alley. She shivered in remembrance. He must have realized this cause he pulled her closer to him as a sign of comfort.  
  
"Sorry, but I gotta be careful" he motioned over to a cop car turning at the corner  
  
She pulled her sweater closer.  
  
"So do I" she whispered meekly.  
  
Josh glanced down and saw the nervousness in her eyes.  
  
"Hey, Nothin's gonna happen to you okay, I won't let it." He leaned down and kissed her forehead.  
  
"Come on babe, we gotta get you and I both out of here." She smiled and looked him over once again.  
  
The years he'd spent at juvie had thickened him up, in more ways than one. He'd always been a little ahead of the group. He was older, smarter, and had a hard edge to his eyes that took the rest of them years to mimic. Everyone kinda viewed him as the protector. He hung with them, but always on the sidelines. If they were playing a game he was in the bleachers smoking a cigarette, barely there but ever present, and most importantly, he was always there when they got in trouble. No one knew about his family, or if he had much of one, they knew he lived with his grandmother but that was about it. Truth be told,  
  
Marisa had always had a bit of a crush on him, even back when he was just a scrawny punk. Now, he had filled out but he was darker than before. Not that she blamed him. Out of nowhere an image of Scott flashed into her mind. She smiled softly as she let Josh lead her down the alley. She wondered if he was even still thinking about her.  
  
"Watch your step!"  
  
Marisa looked down and stepped over the trashcan in her path.  
  
"Josh, we're going back to my place right?"  
  
"Marisa, I dont' know if that's such a good idea. What if your brother's there?"  
  
"Maurice? You don't have to worry about that." Her voice was bitter but with a sadness that wasn't difficult to pick up on.  
  
"Here" he pulled her gently over a couple boxes and through a gap in a fence. They were back in their home neighborhood now.  
  
"I don't even remember the last time he stepped foot in our apartment. Oh wait, yea I do, it was when he went to get all my stuff so he can ship me off to -"  
  
"Give him a break, from what I hear he was doin you a favor."  
  
"What?" Marissa was taken aback by the comment "You agree with him?"  
  
"Hell yea, what the hell were you thinkin, God I have to hear from Kirsten that yous two were workin the street? You were fuckin whorin yourself around Marisa, what the hell were you thinkin? I'd do the same thing if I was Maurice. Same exact thing"  
  
"Excuse me? First of all it's none of your god damned business what I do with me or my time, second of all it's not your fuckin place to make any judgments on me or the decisions I make. In case you forgot, you weren't around, you don't know anything about me past the age of 13. A lot can change Josh, a lot has" and with that Marisa stormed off into the night, not even thinking about where she was going.  
  
"I can see that" Josh lit up a cigarette and went to follow her. One step later he recoiled back as something cold and hard connected with his ribs. A baseball bat.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Walk this way, talk this way!" Bosco sung along to the classic rock station on his way home.  
  
He didn't exactly appreciate Faith's input, but at the same time he didn't like the way he left it with her. When it came down to it she was his best friend, still she had no right. Even if what she said was true. He had been so obsessed with his own guilt and anger and trying to find somewhere for it that he had completely immersed himself with making sure she was physically safe, he'd neglected the emotional side of it. Truth be told, he hadn't let himself think too much below the surface of what had happened either. It was just too much. But he had to make it right. Bosco slammed on the brakes and turned the car around. He spent the next 20 minutes fighting every emotion in himself.  
  
As he turned the corner into his old neighborhood, goose bumps ran up his spine. So many memories. Before he could really delve into those thoughts something caught his eyes. A glint of mental flashed in the reflection of his side mirror. Quickly his instincts took over and he pulled the car over. Grabbing his gun he stepped out of the car. Slowly he approached the scene. Three guys were pummeling another. The kid was putting up quite the fight though. Something about him was extremely familiar but he couldn't place it.  
  
"NYPD FREEZE!" Bosco yelled into the night  
  
The two men still conscious began to run. Bosco started to take off after them but realizing he didn't have Faith with him to stay with the victim, he cursed and turned around. At least he had one of the three.  
  
"Yo man you alright?"  
  
The kid was a bloody mess, his shirt was ripped and a couple of his teeth had been cleanly knocked out. The guy on the ground next to him didn't look much better.  
  
"Just fuckin peachy" Josh choked out after a few deep breaths, well as deep as he could take them with a few broken ribs.  
  
"I'll call in a bus"  
  
"NO!" Josh yelled out in a panic  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I don't think its such a good idea Maurice. Too many people would be very interested in hearin that I'm around if you know what I mean"  
  
"Who the f-"  
  
Josh just looked up at him and waited for it to hit.  
  
"You're Marisa's friend. The kid from juvie."  
  
"Formally. Nice to see you again. It's been a while"  
  
"Yeah. Look kid..."  
  
"Gotta turn me in?"  
  
Bosco looked at the kid. At this point in time, he was already on the top of Marisa's shit list, but if he took this kid in he would BE the shit list.  
  
"No, but we do gotta get you cleaned up. Come on"  
  
"Where we goin?"  
  
"I'm callin this guy in and you and I are goin to my apartment."  
  
"You gettin fresh with me Boscorelli, geez you AND your sister..."  
  
"HEY! Watch it, or I'll break the rest of ya ribs. Speakin of my sister, you seen her?"  
  
"Yea, pissed her off about 15 minutes ago, she stormed off right before these guys popped up. She was heading home. I was gonna go after her, but I got a little hung up."  
  
"So she went ahead by herself??" Bosco's voice shook a little  
  
Josh began to shake his head but then realizing the severity of the situation he muttered a string of curses.  
  
"Shit!" Bosco threw the unconscious perp into the back of his car and sped up ahead. He had to find her before they did.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Such a jackass. Why is it that everyone seems to know what I'm doin wrong with my life and how to fix it" Marisa mumbled to herself as she walked along the cold streets.  
  
Marisa came to a stop in front of her building and looked up with a sigh. Her expression turned from annoyed to confused. The light was on. If no one was home why was the light on? Ma probably just stayed home. Marissa tried to convince herself that was the simple explanation as she headed up the stairs.  
  
By the time she came to the apartment door she found herself wishing she were back dealing with Shelby's crap and mountain lions at Horizon. Quietly, she slid her key in and turned the knob, wincing at each creak.  
  
"Ma?" Marisa called out praying for the desired response.  
  
"Risa?" a male voice called from the apartment, she stepped back as a man in his late teens flung the door open.  
  
"Marisa!!" he quickly swung her up in a hug. The grab was too much for her. She kicked him back.  
  
"Fuck, what the hell was that for?"  
  
"Ben???"  
  
"Who the hell did you think it was? You didn't recognize me?"  
  
"Sorry without the trademark bloodshot eyes and spliced up veins you aren't exactly yourself."  
  
"Yea, I try to leave those elements of my wardrobe at home lately"  
  
"You got yourself cleaned up I hear, studying to be an EMT?"  
  
"Yea, I hear you could have used my medical skills a couple weeks ago"  
  
"Oh god, is there anyone who doesn't know?"  
  
"I'm sure there are a few stragglers back at the cabin" a new voice filtered through the hall.  
  
"Shelby? What the hell are you doing here?"  
  
"Don't sound so excited you'll make me blush"  
  
"Like a sailor I'm sure"  
  
"Ladies ladies come on, lets go inside..."  
  
"Yes, lets.." Another new voice came, a voice followed by a gunshot  
  
"FUCK" Ben grabbed his side.  
  
"Ben!!" Marisa stood to run to his side but was backhanded with the gun into the wall.  
  
"Oh my god" Shelby backed into the door frame  
  
Marisa could feel the blood trickling down her face as she tried to sustain consciousness  
  
"Marisa! Marisa you alright?" Ben coughed  
  
"Shut up asshole" The man's accomplice kicked him in the side  
  
"OOOOOOH SHIT" tears were streaming down Ben's face as well as Marisa's  
  
"Whose Blondie?"  
  
"Leave her alone she's not from around here she won't understand the welcome" Marisa spoke with bitter sarcasm  
  
"Bitch. Grab her Eddie"  
  
"No!" Shelby moved forward but was shoved back hard into the wall.  
  
"I want you here for when her brother gets in let him know I'm babysittin his sister. Over and over again." the two men laughed as they drug Marisa down the hall.  
  
"God, Ben! What the hell do I do?" Shelby knelt down  
  
"I'm no rocket scientist and all, but..." Ben coughed through the blood "I'd call 911"  
  
Shelby ran into the apartment and searched frantically for a phone. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"If she's not back by tomorrow morning I say we all go look for her"  
  
"And where exactly do you suggest we start looking east coast? West? I mean, considering she could be ANYWHERE."  
  
"Well we should do something!"  
  
"Daisy, look, Shelby is tough she can handle herself. She probably just needed a break."  
  
"A break from what?"  
  
"Me." Scott ran a hand through his waves and sat down "A break from me and all my crap."  
  
"Scott it's not your fault" Juliette tried to convince him.  
  
"Yeah meat, its just Shelby being Shelby"  
  
"NO, Daisy was right. She is always back by now. She's gotta be really pissed at me. I just.. I just got caught up."  
  
"Thank you!" Daisy threw up her hands in silent victory.  
  
"So what, you're over Marisa?" Ezra asked  
  
"I don't know if I was ever actually into her"  
  
David, who was usually extremely vocal about his opinions on absolutely everything had remained silent through this conversation up to this point.  
  
"Oh thats nice, what the hell are you a freakin yo yo? What makes you think you can go back and forth asshole?"  
  
"For once in his miserable existence the man makes a point." Daisy raised an eyebrow as she spoke.  
  
"Alright look. Maybe I don't know who I want or what I want but that's my right, and I don't owe any of you anything, let alone explanations I'm not sure I even have."  
  
Scott stormed out of the room, a sinking feeling had been situating itself in the pit of his stomach. He had really screwed things up. With everyone and everything. This was becoming the story of his life, and it was time he changed it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!!!! 


	10. Cinderella's Glass Slipper

AUTHORS NOTE: Hey guys!!!!! Sorry this is so delayed, I wanted to end with this chapter but it would have been too long!  I started college this week so it's a little more than a bit hectic if you know what I mean! J Not much to disclaim for this chapter besides the usual, I don't own any one who you recognize haha. As always LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK !!!!!! lol I love hearing from you guys!!! It motivates me ;) Okay well, I'm thinking there's gonna be one more chapter but I might have to make that two, it depends on how long it ends up being, but I am close to wrapping this up. What are you opinions on a sequel? And if so, should I continue it like this one, mostly Higher Ground, take it back to the mountains if you will haha, or should I move it to New York and involve more Third Watch??? Please let me know!!!!

______________________________________________________________________

Scott waited till he knew the coast was clear. Every Tuesday night at 6 o'clock Peter took the books to Horizon's accountant in town and then took Sophie out to dinner. No one was supposed to know this of course but word has a way of getting around. There was one inept clerical worker at the front desk but the girl was so immersed in filing her nails and talking on the phone, getting past her was nothing. 

Scott, using one of his very masterful pick pocketing skills conveniently picked up by having to break into his Dad's safe for drug money, easily unlocked the door to Peter's office. Quietly he snuck back to the filing cabinets and using the same technique popped the lock. He winced as the cabinet creaked its way open. He rummaged until he found Shelby's address, wrote it on his wrist and began to shut the cabinet, that was until something caught his eye. One of the folders was flipped upside down. Furrowing his brows, he lifted the folder out.

CONFIDENTIAL: MARISA BOSCORELLI

"That's odd" he mumbled under his breath "Unless.... no. Why would she?" 

Scott sighed realizing where Shelby was. He quickly took down Marisa's address and silently thanked Shelby for leaving such a big clue. Expertly he closed up the cabinet and began to leave. All of a sudden, he noticed a shadow under the door. He hadn't even heard footsteps. His heart froze for a second and then began to beat louder and faster than it ever had before. Ever fiber of his body shook, how would he explain this?

The door jiggled and the unlocked. It slowly opened and a girl peeked her head in.

"DAISY?" Scott demanded in a loud whisper

"SCOTT?" She responded in the same fashion. He quickly pulled her into the room and making sure no one was in the hallway shut the door. 

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Oh like I couldn't ask you the same thing!"

"Daisy!"

"Bite me Scott! What are you doing here? And what's that?" She lifted up the sleeve of his arm to reveal writing.

"Don't!" 

"Whose address is that? Do you know where Shelby is Scott?" Daisy demanded

"No! Well, maybe... I came for Shelby's address and I got that, but then, well there was a file turned upside down, like someone was in a hurry..."

"Shelby?"

"I think so"

"Whose address?"

"Well, that's the part you won't believe..."

Daisy stared at him in confusion for a moment before realizing

"Are you kidding me? Why would she want that?"

"I have no idea! But I really think that's where she went. And there's only one way to know for sure."

"You aren't just gonna go are you? What if she's not there? You don't even know how to get there Scott!"

"I thought you wanted to find Shelby!"

"Well yea! But..."

"No buts, look I screwed things up okay, I always do, maybe this... maybe this is a way for me to start turning things around in a different direction. I can't lose her Daisy"

Daisy was silent for a moment.

"Which one?"

"Either one."

Daisy sighed.

"Well then , I'm going with you."

Scott shook his head. "No. You are not coming"

"Oh really Scott, and what makes you think you are in any position to stop me?" She motioned to his wrist.

"You wouldn't"

"But Peter! I tried to stop him! He just wouldn't-" Daisy pretended to be ratting him out to the thin air.

"Alright Alright! But no one else knows about this. That's all we need is Jules trying to make her way around New York City."

Daisy laughed at this. "Like you're gonna be much better. The suburban prom king. "

Scott was about to say something back but Peter's voice approaching from down the hall caused him to grab Daisy's arm and pull her towards the closet.

"Gee Scott, never knew you cared"

"Shhh! Listen"

"Hang on Soph! I forgot the book!"

Scott glanced towards the desk and saw the money books sitting on top of the desk. He squeezed his eyes shut and sighed.

"I can see a lot more church going for me in my future if we don't get caught" Daisy mumbled

"Oh god. This could be very bad"

"No shit now shhh"

Peter walked in and sighed. He grabbed the books and started to leave but stopped in his tracks.

"Hey Soph you think I need a jacket?"

Daisy and Scott exchanged panicked glances.

"Nah. nevermind. Let's get out of here"

Daisy exhaled a breath she didn't know she'd been holding and leaned into Scott.

"Can we go now?" 

"Yeah, I'd say that's a good idea."

They walked out by the courts.

"So I'll meet you back here in a half hour."

"Sounds good"

"Meet for what?" Jules stepped out from behind the wall of the building next to them followed by Auggie.

"Yea Meat, what's up?"

Daisy and Scott exchanged looks. Both of them knew that if they were meant to get out by themselves it would have happened that way. 

"Alright guys, go get the rest of the cliffhangers and meet back here with a bag you aren't gonna mind carrying for the next few days"

"Why are we going on a misson?"

"Something like that Jules" Scott smiled at her. "But you aren't gonna need your hiking boots"

The confusion was clear but the kids did as they were told and came back half an hour later with the rest of the group. 

"Where's Kat?"

"She's working, we couldn't find her" Juliette answered.

"So... where are we going and why wasn't I supposed to bring my compass?" Ezra adjusted the straps on his backpack

"Well guys.." Daisy stepped up "We're going to New York"

The kids just looked at each other. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Alright kid, just wait here a sec, I'll be down in a minute to help you up."

"I can walk"

"Yeah, I can fly." Bosco rolled his eyes and shut the door after making sure the guy in the back was handcuffed to the door just in case he woke up.

"Lights on... that's a good sign" Bosco almost bit the words back after he said that knowing he should never think ahead like that. 

Each step was a small emotional victory considering how long it'd been since he'd last taken them. Fifth floor apartment C. He opened the door to the fifth floor. Elevators hadn't run in these buildings in decades. Before he could even take a step out he saw the blood splattered against the wall. 

"Fuck." He ran out from the door to see Ben who lay bleeding to death on the ground in front of him. He heard a frantic female voice coming from the apartment.

"Please God..." He stepped over the kid and turned into the apartment expecting to see Marisa; instead a hysterical, blonde teenage girl was frenetically trying to explain what she'd seen. 

"Hey! HEY!" Bosco put his gun back in its holster and stepped into the room. The girl screamed and went to hit him with the phone. 

"HEY RELAX! NYPD! This is my apartment. Where's Marisa!? What the fuck happened!?"

"Are you listening to me??"

"He was ... he was shot!"

"Well thank you for the obvious but who shot him, when did it happen, where did they go, where's my fuckin sister?!"

"Okay OKAY! I'm sorry!" Shelby wrapped her arms around herself and tears flowed freely down her red cheeks.

Bosco through his arms up and stepped back into the hallway to see what he could do for the boy.

"Alright kid, where were you hit?"

"Try the spot where my guts are pourin out "

"Yeah... Hey You!... You! Hey Barbie!!" Shelby looked at Bosco 

"Must be a family thing" she mumbled to herself before stepping forward.

"I need you to apply pressure until the paramedics get here. Don't push too hard."

"What you're leaving?!" Shelby asked panicking.

"Which way did they go?"

"It was two guys, the came out of nowhere man, if I had seen, I wouldn't have let them...oh fuck this kills, neva been shot before. They took her that way, messed her head up pretty good."

"The say where they were goin?"

"They said that the wanted me to give you a message but I don't think that..."

"What was the fuckin message?"

"They said that uh... look... I don't know they just took her and they said that they wanted you to know that they had her and ..."

"Boscorelli, you need to find her or it's gonna be a repeat of 2 weeks ago... but worse." Ben choked out.

All of a sudden the floor was filled with paramedics.

"What do we got Bosco?"

"Bosco?" Bosco's eyes were glazed over and his jaw was clenched

"Yo Boscorelli! you here?" Carlos waved a hand in front of the mans face.

"Late teens, male, GSW to the abdomen." Bosco muttered before he pushed past his friends and ran down the stairs.

"Bosco wait!" Faith called out from the top of the stairs.

"Not now Faith"

"YES. now. Bosco."

"Bosco please"

"Faith...Look. I can't do this right now okay, I gotta find her, I can't let them do it to her again Faith, I can't!"

"Boz I know, but just think about what you're doing, goin out there all gung ho, you could jeopardize her situation further, let's just take a second and get Sully and Davis..."

"FAITH! You aren't hearin anything I am sayin to you! No, I'm goin now. "

"Bosco!"

"Faith what if it was Emily, What if it was her?" 

"Bosco... that would be ... different"

"Why? You know you'd be out there doin anything you could"

"Bosco she's my daughter, of course I would..."

"Yea and Marisa is my baby sister, I'm the closest thing she's had to a god damn father, and apparently that's not much either, I gotta do this, I'm not askin you to come. Hell, I don't want you to. So just turn around Faith... just turn around"

"NO. Boz, you don't even know where you're goin! Why don't we go down to Mercy and talk to the perp in your backseat."

"Cause he's passed out."

"He was awake when they found him"

Bosco knew that Faith was making sense. He didn't have a clue as to where to begin looking for Marisa, this guy did though, and he'd get his answers.

"Lets go"

The two headed towards the exit. Neither one said anything as they made their way to Mercy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ow" Marisa groaned as she slowly began to regain consciousness.

Her hands instinctively moved to her head to feel the area causing her so much pain but as she tried to lift them she found herself incapable of doing so. Her arms were tied behind her back, and a rope seared through the torn skin of her wrists.  Tears instantly stung her red eyes like acid. 

"Oh god…" she murmured through the pain. 

"Sleeping beauty awakes…awww what's a matter princess..." the voice mocked her and tried to tilt her bruised face toward its own.  "Lost your crown?"

Marissa fought the motion and through swollen eyes glared at the man. His greasy hair shone in the dull, twitching light of the warehouse ceiling.  Yellow teeth rotted in his diseased gums and his thin stature added to his ghoulish appearance. Chills ran up her spine as hopelessness set into her veins.

"I know what you're thinking babycakes… you're thinkin that any minute now, your big bro boscorelli will attack the gates and storm the…" the sleazebag took a second to glance around him "castle…" 

The man stepped toward her and a fear that had been churning deep within her began to boil at the surface.

"Ain't gonna happen sweetheart. Just you and me for now. And trust me, we have so time to uh…perform some extracurricular activities if you will, you know what I'm talking about… you remember"

"You'd be surprised how easy you are to forget" her words bit back at him causing a slap in the face.

Fresh tears stung her eyes but she refused to let them fall, refused to give him the satisfaction. 

"That's okay baby, I don't care if you like it, I know I do and that's all that matters"  

Marisa took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Quickly she removed herself from the situation, a skill she'd picked up on long ago, the ability to detach oneself emotionally from everything around them. As the filth of his skin burned hers she allowed herself to escape, to go numb, it was the only way she'd survive it.

"You guys ready?" Scott took a breath and turned back around to face his friends. There they all stood. Eyes wide, not sure about anything besides this is what they wanted to do. 

When all was said and over with, when all the chips fell and all the words were spoken, battles fought, nothing was worth anything if they weren't there for each other. Right now, they were all there and ready, willing to face irreparable consequences and none of them cared, because they believed in each other, as much as they fought and argued and through all the crap they gave each other, they were closer to a family than any of them had every had before. Scott smiled and led the way onto the train. 

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW J


End file.
